Rajasthan Court Serves Notice on Petition Alleging Ajmer Dargah's Origins as a Shiva Temple
court in Ajmer issued notices to the respondents in a civil suit asserting that the Ajmer Dargah in Rajasthan was constructed over a Shiva temple and should be officially recognized as "Bhagwan Shri Sankatmochan Mahadev Virajman Temple
11/28/20241 min read
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On November 27, 2024, the Civil Judge (Junior Division) of Ajmer, Rajasthan, issued notices to three entities in response to a civil suit alleging that the Ajmer Sharif Dargah was originally a Shiva temple. The suit, filed by Vishnu Gupta, President of the Hindu Sena, seeks to have the dargah declared as the "Sankat Mochan Mahadev Temple" and demands the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) conduct a survey of the site.
The court directed notices to be sent to the Ajmer Dargah Committee, the Ministry of Minority Affairs, and the ASI, requesting their responses to the claims made in the suit. The next hearing is scheduled for December 20, 2024.
This legal action follows a similar petition filed in September 2024, which was dismissed by the court due to jurisdictional issues. The current suit presents new arguments, including architectural features of the dargah that the plaintiff asserts indicate its Hindu origins.
The outcome of this case could have significant implications for the religious and cultural status of the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, a site of immense importance to Sufi Muslims in India.