Hearing on Shiva temple claims on Ajmer Dargah gets postponed

Jaipur: The hearing on the claim regarding a Shiva temple in the sanctum sanctorum of Ajmer Dargah, which was scheduled on Saturday, has been postponed to April 19. The postponement happened due to the Ajmer bandh observed on Saturday in response to the Bijaynagar rape and blackmail incident, which was supported by the District Bar Association.

During the last hearing on January 24, the Dargah Committee requested additional time from the court. In its petition, the committee argued that "the plaintiff's petition is not worth hearing".

In response, the court sought a reply from Hindu Sena's National President, Vishnu Gupta, who subsequently submitted it. Following this, the Dargah Committee again requested time, leading the court to schedule the next hearing for March 1, IANS reported.

Gupta had filed a petition claiming the existence of a temple at the Dargah site. In response, the Dargah Committee demanded the dismissal of the petition through a court application.

Vishnu Gupta, who did not personally visit Ajmer on Saturday, addressed the matter via video.

Vishnu Gupta has based his claim on three aspects, which include the structure and door carvings: The Buland Darwaza at the Dargah resembles the entrance of Hindu temples, and its carvings suggest the prior existence of a temple, he claimed in his plea. There is also a reference to the upper structure of the Dargah, which he claimed resembled remnants of a Hindu temple. The domes indicate that a temple might have been demolished to construct the Dargah, he claimed. He further quoted water and waterfalls in his plea and said that Shiva temples are traditionally associated with water sources and waterfalls. Similar elements exist within the Ajmer Dargah premises, he mentioned in his petition.