Gyanvapi Mosque

Gyanvapi Mosque (Hindi: ज्ञानवापी मस्जिद "The Well of Knowledge") is a mosque built by Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb. It is located north of Dashaswamedh Ghat, near Lalita Ghat along the river Ganga in Varanasi at the original site of Kashi Vishwanath temple<ref> Шаблон:Cite news</ref><ref name=hindu1> Шаблон:Cite news</ref>.

Gyanvapi Mosque — @ Web

History

The present Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi.Gyanvapi Mosque can be seen in the background. The Kashi Vishwanath Temple of Varanasi , dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva - also called Vishwanath - has a very special and unique significance in the spiritual history of India. It is considered to be one of the holiest places of Hinduism The temple has been destroyed and rebuilt a number of times. After being rebuilt in 1585, Aurangzeb, ordered its demolition in 1669 and constructed Gyanvapi Mosque, which still exists alongside the temple.

P1050051 — z4n0n1 @ Flickr

The reasons for Aurangzeb's demolition of the temple were specific events, not religious bigotry.

• The Zamindars of Varanasi had rebelled; some had even assisted the Maratha emperor Shivaji to escape from Aurangzeb's custody.
• Shivaji's escape had been facilitated by Jai Singh ,Raja Man Singh's great-grandson; thus inciting Aurangzeb to destroy this particular temple.
• Reports of Brahmans interfering with Islamic teaching
• To serve a warning to anti-Mughal factions by planting a dominant mosque right in the heartland of the holiest of Hindu cities.
• Aurangzeb's displeasure with politically and religiously active Hindu elite.
• A possible nexus between the Sufi rebels and the Pandits of the temple existed and it was primarily to smash this nexus that Aurangzeb ordered action against the temple.

Another theory about the demolition by Bishambhar Nath Pande asserts that Aurangzeb while on a military expedition to Bengal halted at Varanasi where his queens went to pay homage to Lord Vishwanath. On return, the Rani of Kutch was missing. Aurangzeb ordered a thorough search and she was found dishonoured and robbed of her jewels in a secret chamber right below Lord Vishwanath's seat.Since sacred precincts had been despoiled, he ordered that Lord Vishvanath may be moved to some other place, the temple be razed to the ground and the Mahant be arrested and punished.He ordered to construct a mosque on the request of Rani of Kutch.

This theory has been refuted by Koenraad Elst and Arun Shourie on the grounds that:

• Aurangzeb never went on an expedition to Bengal , not even as far as Varanasi.
• Queens are unlikely to travel in a military campaign.
• It is very unlikely that a queen from the entourage be caught and found out later.
• Official court chronicle, Maasiri Alamgiri's entry for 2 September 1669 tells : "News came to court that in accordance with the Emperor's command his officers had demolished the temple of Vishvanath at Banaras".
• Aurangzeb was a notorious religious bigot , he would have never allowed his wives to go to a Hindu temple.
• No Kashi Vishwanath temple was reconstructed by Aurangzeb as suggested. Ahilya Bai Holkar of Indore had it constructed in 1780 , more than a 100 years later.

Construction

The original holy well - Gyanvapi in between temple & mosque The minarets are 71 meters high and used to dominated the Varanasi skyline till a 1948 flood caused it to collapse. Material from the destroyed temple was reused by Aurangzeb while building the mosque. The mosque shows evidence of original Hindu temple in its foundation, columns and rear. The old temple wall was also incorporated as part of the walls of the mosque. The deliberately retained remnants of the temple are described to be "a warning and an insult to Hindu feelings".<ref>The Ashgate research companion to heritage and identity By Brian J. Graham, Peter Howard p.133</ref> The façade is modelled on Taj Mahal's entrance.

Kashi Viswanath Temple — ¿Richard? @ Flickr

The Kashi Vishwanath Temple was rebuilt in 1780 besides the mosque and the two structures have existed in harmony since then, but separated by a barricade of iron staves and chicken wire. The Gyanvapi - the well of knowledge - is situated between the temple and the mosque. The well is also believed by Hindus to be the location where the sacred Shiva linga icon of the temple was hidden, before the temple was razed by Aurangzeb.<ref name = "Eicher">Good Earth Varanasi city guide By Eicher Goodearth Limited</ref>

Varanasi Alleyway — Ben Mitchell2009 @ Flickr

Concerns

The mosque faces a threat of being target of fundamentalist Hindus<ref> Шаблон:Cite news</ref> and radical Hindu organizations like Vishwa Hindu Parishad<ref> Шаблон:Cite news</ref><ref> Шаблон:Cite news</ref><ref> Шаблон:Cite news</ref> and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh , who consider it symbolic of Islamic iconoclasm.After the demolition of the Babri Mosque -which was allegedly built by destroying a sacred Hindu temple by Aurangzeb's ancestor- in December 1992, about a 1000 policemen always stand guard at the Kashi Vishwanath temple and Gyanvapi mosque.<ref name = "bbc"> Шаблон:Cite news</ref>The mosque is functional and receives protection under Places of Worship (Special Provisions)Act, 1991. <ref name = "indian express"> Шаблон:Cite news</ref>

References

Coordinates: 25°18′40″N 83°00′38″E / 25.311229°N 83.010461°E / 25.311229; 83.010461

Indian Sweets - Varanasi, India — uncorneredmarket @ Flickr

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