Jaunpur, December 01 : The hearing of the case related to the Atala Masjid located in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, which was scheduled for Monday, has been postponed until a later date.
The Junior Division City Court has set February 26 for the next hearing in this case. The court made this decision citing the Allahabad High Court.
This suit was filed by Santosh Kumar Mishra, State President of Swaraj Vahini, against the Peace Committee Jama Masjid (Atala Masjid) Mohalla Sipah.
The petitioner claims that this site was originally a temple of Atala Mata. According to the petition, in the 13th century, King Vijay Chandra built a temple here, installing the idol of Atala Devi, where people worshipped. Later, in the 13th century, Firoz Shah Tughlaq invaded Jaunpur and established his dominance. Tughlaq, impressed by the grandeur of the Atala Devi Temple, ordered it demolished. However, due to strong opposition from Hindus, he was unable to completely demolish it. Instead, a mosque was built on the temple’s pillars, which is now known as the Atala Masjid.
Currently, Muslims offer prayers there, while those following Sanatan Dharma are prohibited from entering. In 1408, the Sharqi ruler Ibrahim Shah fully transformed the temple into a mosque.
The petition also states that the Atala Masjid is actually the temple of Atala Devi. This fact is also found in historian Abul Fazal’s work, “Ain-i-Akbari.” The writings clearly state that traces and remnants of Hindu architecture and customs still remain on the temple’s pillars and other parts. Followers of Sanatan Dharma have the right to perform puja and kirtan there.
Giving information on this matter, Advocate Ram of Hindu Swaraj Vahini said that due to the ongoing hearing of this case in the High Court in Munsif city, the next date of hearing in the District Court has been fixed for February 26.