MANDYA: At a time when a local court has ordered videography of the disputed Gyanvapi mosque at Kashi, a controversy has now erupted over the Jamia Masjid at Srirangapatna in Mandya district with Hindu groups claiming that it was originally a Moodalabagilu Anjaneya Swami temple.
They claim that Tipu Sultan destroyed the temple and built the mosque and are demanding that the original temple be restored. The mosque was built in 1784 where once the Anjaneya temple stood. Within the mosque, a step well (kalyani) and and open well exist, like those found in temples. There are carvings of gods on the pillars and temples all around the mosque, leaders of Hindu groups said.
“There is a madrasa inside the mosque and they offer namaaz using loudspeakers. We want to establish a Hanuman temple. We will launch a statewide agitation and a ‘Srirangapatna Chalo’ event” — Pramod Mutalik, Sri Rama Sene
To buttress their argument, they quoted Benjamin Lewis Rice’s writings in the Mysore Gazette and said Tipu had written to the Persian Caliph about the demolition of the temple and construction of the mosque.
In the light of this, worship of Moodalabagilu Anjaneya should be allowed within the mosque, members of the Narendra Modi Vichar Manch said in their memorandum presented to the district deputy commissioner.
