Ajmer Dargah: The Forgotten Mandir Beneath The Dome?

The Ajmer Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is revered as a Sufi shrine. However, it is now at the center of a contentious Mandir-Masjid debate. Rajasthan Court permitted a petition that claims that Ajmer Dargah was originally a Sankat Mochan Mahadev Temple. The mere permission to hear a claim sparked a heated legal and historical examination from all corners of the nation. The claim challenges long-held narratives about the site and sheds light on claims of a darker history tied to the dargah’s origins. Let’s talk!

Ajmer Dargah Was A Temple: Historical Evidence and Petition Details

Ajmer Dargah Sharif claimed as Shiva temple!

Rajasthan court has admitted a petition alleging Ajmer Sharif Dargah is a Shiva temple. Filed by Hindu Sena leader Vishnu Gupta, the case has sparked new controversy

An Ajmer court issued notices over claims about the revered Sufi… pic.twitter.com/tZgf9vXPq5

— Nabila Jamal (@nabilajamal_) November 28, 2024

On 27th November 2024, Vishnu Gupta and the Hindu Sena filed a petition in a local Rajasthan court. They claim that the Ajmer Dargah should be declared a Hindu temple. They cite historical records, including a book written in 1911 by Har Bilas Sarda, which mentions remnants of Hindu iconography in the dargah’s architecture.

Ajmer Dargah was also a Temple : Ajmer Dargah was ancient Sankat Mochan Shiva Temple.

Hindu symbols were found on the windows of Dargah, court accept the petition from Hindus and issue notice to Dargah authorities.

What is ours, we should claim. Once a Temple, always a Temple.… pic.twitter.com/1p6S9IHyPp

— Namami Bharatam 🚩 (@Namami_Bharatam) November 28, 2024

According to the petition:

• Hindu Remnants: The Buland Darwaza and other architectural features of the dargah exhibit carvings of Swastika and other designs consistent with Hindu temples.
• Historical Reference: Sarda’s book describes the presence of a Mahadeva image in a temple that predates the dargah.

• Shivling Evidence: Locals claim that until 50 years ago, prayers were offered at a Shivling within the Dargah premises, allegedly moved to the basement.

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Infact, there used to be a temple in place of Ajmer Dargah and the Swastika & vishnu idol on its wall is proof of it.

Today, Hindus proudly go there to show their secularism & in the process spit on their gods.

Now, Shiv Sena wants to dedicate a flyover to this barbarian 🤡 pic.twitter.com/6AYAzzU4Eb

— Incognito (@Incognito_qfs) June 13, 2021

The court has issued notices to the Ajmer Dargah Committee, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and the Ministry of Minority Affairs, urging a survey to verify these claims.

The Darker History of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti

M.A. Khan’s book, “Islamic Jihad: A Legacy of Forced Conversions, Imperialism, and Slavery” Islam gave polytheists a choice between death and conversion. Some sources state that Chisti dreamt of his Prophet and felt guided to tour India.

In his book, M.A. Khan discusses that Sufis came to India to participate in Islamic Jihad and propogate Islam among the shirk and mushrik. Thus, it implies that Khwaja Chishti’s role in coming to Hind was to play a crucial role in the Islamic conquest of India. He is accused of supporting the invasion led by Mohammad Ghori against the Hindu king Prithviraj Chauhan. 

Notably Chisti and his followers were responsible for the following:

• Desecration of Temples: Some reports state that Khwaja Chishti vowed to destroy Hindu temples around Ajaymeru (modern Ajmer), particularly near Anasagar Lake.
• Sacrilege: A version of historical accounts suggests his followers slaughtered cows near prominent temples, an act of deliberate desecration aimed at antagonizing Hindus.
• Sabotage and Espionage: Reportedly, Chishti aided Ghori by undermining Prithviraj Chauhan’s defense. Thereby, effectively ensuring the fall of the Hindu ruler and facilitating Islamic rule in the region.

These narratives align with other patterns seen during the Islamic invasions of India. Vairous books note how sacred Hindu sites were systematically targeted and desecrated, only to be replaced with Islamic structures.

Why Do Hindus Still Visit Ajmer Dargah?

Despite its contested history, Hindus form a significant portion of visitors to the Ajmer Dargah. From Prime Ministers to the common man, they visit the dargah and donate “chadars” on the remains of the man who helped a Muslim kill a Hindu King! By doing this many Hindus showcase their Liberal mindset.

However, unknown to them, they are pulled to the place where once stood a proud Sanatani Mandir!

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Any Hindu visiting Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti’s Dargah at Ajmer is actually celebrating the desecration & destruction of an ancient Mahadeva temple. Not just the tomb, but in fact the entire complex is built atop remains of Hindu & Jain temples demolished by Muslim invaders. pic.twitter.com/nsaj6pP1mv

— Savitri Mumukshu – सावित्री मुमुक्षु (@MumukshuSavitri) February 12, 2023

Till the 19th century, Brahmans would offer Sandalwood paste inside the dargah! This phenomenon mirrors the case of the Gyanvapi Mosque and Babari Masjid! Hindus continued to worship at the remnants of a temple for centuries, keeping alive the memory of its sacredness. Thus, they might have forgotten why they feel the pull to visit the dargah, but a deeper spiritual and ancestral connection to the site compels their every bow in reverence.

Consequently, it may seem that in the civilizational memory of Sanatanis, the memory of the original Mandir is deeply yet subconsciously rooted.

Counterclaims from the Dargah Committee

#WATCH | Ajmer, Rajasthan: On a local court directing issuance of notice over a suit claiming Shiva temple in Ajmer dargah, Syed Naseruddin Chishty, Chairman, All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council, says, "… The concerned parties have been issued notices, one is the Dargah… pic.twitter.com/uftrCjjmCs

— ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2024

The Ajmer Dargah Committee has dismissed these allegations, asserting the shrine’s 850-year-old history as a place of communal harmony. Syed Sarwar Chishti, a prominent caretaker, argued that claims based on Sarda’s book are not credible.

Rajasthan: A lower court has accepted a petition that refers to the Ajmer Sharif Dargah as a Hindu temple. The next hearing will be on December 20. The petition, filed by the Hindu Sena, claims that the dargah was originally a Shiva temple. Syed Sarwar Chishti, the secretary of… pic.twitter.com/1pAYwcO96j

— IANS (@ians_india) November 27, 2024

He states:

• The book lacks corroborative historical evidence.
• The dargah’s history, validated by centuries of Islamic and secular sources, does not reference any prior temple.
• They view the petition as part of a broader trend challenging Islamic structures across India, a sentiment echoed in disputes over sites like Gyanvapi Mandir in Varanasi and Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal.

A Battle For Bharat’s Sacred Sanatani Sites

Jaipur, Rajasthan: Vishwa Hindu Parishad National Spokesperson, Amitosh Pareek reacts to case on Ajmer Dargah Sharif, says, "The matter of Ajmer Dargah Sharif has gone to court, where the right to worship has been demanded again. The Hindu side claims that a Shiva temple was… pic.twitter.com/TfMDBpEw5Y

— IANS (@ians_india) November 28, 2024

The Ajmer Dargah case adds to the growing demand for historical reclamation of sacred Hindu sites in Bharat. The Sanatanis are fighting to reclaim its pride and culture, once brutally crushed by Islamic rule and Colonial slavery. From the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya to ongoing legal battles over mosques in Varanasi, Sambhal, and Mathura; Hindus want their temples back.

Therefore, the Ajmer Dargah claim has become the latest cause of the Mandir-Masjid debate while Hindus demand the use of surveys and science to prove their claims.

Ajmer Dargah Plea Row

AIMIM Chief Owaisi says, "The dargah has been there for the last 800 years. Prime Ministers, starting from Nehru, have been sending 'Chadar' to the dargah… Why have the BJP and RSS spread this hatred regarding mosques and dargahs? PM Modi also sends… pic.twitter.com/8U84CHkcCD

— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) November 28, 2024

The Muslim community are either unable to acknowledge the cruelty of Islamic invaders or digest scientific facts and proven history that showcases Sanatan right on a place of worship.

For Hindus, the Ajmer Dargah is now a spiritual paradox: it represents the remanants of a venerated ancient temple while it also embodies a painful history of desecration and loss. The court shall hear the petition on 20th December 2024. And like Ayodhya Ram Mandir, the decision could set a precedent for similar cases across India.

Hence, the battle for Sankant Mochan Mahadev Mandir over Ajmer Dargah is more than a legal or religious dispute. It is a struggle to correct a historical injustice done to the Hindus of Bharat. As claims and counterclaims shall continue to surface in the coming days. However, the truth probaly lies buried in the remnants of a past that refuses to fade.

Whether the site’s origins as a Hindu temple can be conclusively proven remains to be seen.

However, the case has reignited a vital conversation about the resurfacing of Bharat’s atman, itihas, and the resilience of its spiritual heritage.

References:

• Ajmer Historical and Descriptive By Har Bilas Sarda https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.213052/page/n117/mode/1up?view=theater
• Islamic Jihad: A Legacy of Forced Conversion, Imperialism, and Slavery By MA Khan https://archive.org/details/islamic-jihad-a-legacy-of-forced-conversion-imperialism-and-slavery-m.-a.-khan_202008/mode/1up