Hindu Temples: What Happened to Them v2.c19.s2.24

v2.c19.s2.24

B.L. Nagarch, on the other hand, writes that the inscription fixed in the modern entrance gate to the mosque mentions the construction of shops by Ali Askari in Adil Ganj and there is no reference to the mosque.¹⁴ Moreover, Aurangzeb was not the ruling Mughal monarch in 1645, having ascended the throne thirteen years later in 1658. The temple remains discovered inside the mosque also go to show that at least that part of the structure was built not long after the Rudramahalaya was demolished. The Minorities Commission, it seems, has relied upon some local tradition about Aurangzeb having built the mosque. Aurangzeb did live in Gujarat in 1645 when he was appointed Governor of that province by Shah Jahan. He also destroyed Hindu temples in Gujarat as is evident from his *firman* dated November 20, 1665 which says that In Ahmadabad and other parganas of Gujarat in the days before my accession (many) temples were destroyed by my order.¹⁵ It seems that somewhere along the line several stories have got mixed up and Aurangzeb has been credited with a pious deed he did not perform at Sidhpur, not at least in respect of the Jami Masjid built on the site and from the debris of the Rudramahalaya. What might have happened is that some major repairs to the Jami Masjid were carried out while he was the Governor of Gujarat and at his behest. The subject needs examination with reference to records, if any.