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Not a place of worship, ASI tells Delhi court hearing plea on Hindu prayers at Qutub Minar
The court is hearing a petition claiming the monument has pictures of deities suggesting Hindu origin of the building
New Delhi: Qutub Minar is not a place of worship and alteration of the existing structure is not permissible, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Tuesday told a Delhi court hearing a petition claiming the monument has pictures of deities suggesting the Hindu origin of the building. The plea sought permission to worship the deities.
ASI said the revival of worship is not allowed. It added no community has worshipped at Qutub Minar or any of its parts since the time it has been a protected monument even as there are a number of structures within the complex.
“Fundamental right cannot be availed in violation of any status of the land. The basic principle of protection/conservation is not to allow starting of any new practice in a monument declared and notified as a protected one,” ASI told the court.
The plea was filed on behalf of Jain deity Tirthankar Rishabh Dev and Hindu god Vishnu by advocates Hari Shankar Jain and Ranjana Agnihotri. The petition cites a short history purportedly displayed by ASI which, according to the plea, narrates how 27 temples were demolished by Qutubdin Aibak, a general in Mohamad Ghori’s army, and the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque was raised by reusing the material.
The petitioner urged the court to issue an injunction to the Centre to create a trust and hand over management of the temple complex to it.
The plea claimed that Qutub Minar premises has “clear pictures of Hindu Gods and deities like Shri Ganesh, Vishnu and Yaksha” and several symbols like kalash and sacred lotus, along with temple wells, which suggest a “Hindu origin of the building”.
Opposing the plea, ASI said there is no provision under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act under which worship can be started at a monument.
On April 18, the court directed ASI not to remove two idols of Lord Ganesha from the Qutub Minar complex till further directions after the plaintiff filed an application stating his apprehension that the idols may be removed.
The two idols are located in the compound of the 12th-century monument, which was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
ASI’s lawyer then said that the apprehensions of the appellant were misplaced as the agency was not contemplating any removal or shifting of the idols as of now. Shifting of the idols would involve various permissions from different agencies, and have national implications as it would amount to a policy decision, the ASI said.
Following this, the court ordered status quo till further orders.
