“Why a centuries-old razed Kalki temple has fuelled Sambhal riots”, India Today, November 25, 2024:
“Sunday morning brought chaos in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal. As a seven-member court-mandated team entered the Shahi Jama Masjid to carry out a survey, a mob of hundreds surrounded the mosque from three directions. The situation descended into complete chaos as stones were hurled, vehicles were set ablaze and bullets were fired. Four people were killed.
The situation in Sambhal is far from normal after 24 hours. Schools have been shut, mobile internet is suspended, and large gatherings have been banned in Sambhal town a day after the rioting.
The mayhem that unfolded in Sambhal actually has roots in a contentious dispute over the Shahi Jama Masjid and its history. Hindus claim that the mosque was built after demolishing the centuries-old Shri Hari Har Temple, dedicated to Kalki, Lord Vishnu’s 10th and yet-to-arrive incarnation. What do historians and an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report from 1879 reveal?…….”
Read the full article at Indiatoday.com
