Referring to religious texts that traces back Krishna Janmabhoomi’s origin in Mathura to over 5000 years back, the chief priest of Dwarkadhish temple in Gujarat demanded Shahi Idgah be shifted to free up the six doors of Kansa’s karagaar, where Lord Krishna appeared in his human form.
“I recently went to visit thakurji’s temple in Mathura. There are still vast swathes of the karagar containing at least six doors of the jail which fall within the premises of the Shahi Idgah mosque. It should be removed and a magnificent temple for Lord Krishna should be constructed,” said Acharya Murali, chief priest of Dwarkadhish.
Mathura and Dwarka are part of the “Krishna pilgrimage circuit” which includes Vrindavan, Barsana, Gokul, Govardhan, Kurukshetra and Puri.
Dwarka, known to be the Kingdom of Lord Krishna, houses the Dwarkadhish Temple. It one of four sacred Hindu pilgrimage sites collectively called the Chardham, which were founded by Adi Shankaracharya at the four corners of the country.
Quoting from Puranas, Acharya said that while Shahi Idgah was built only a few centuries back, Lord Krishna’s janmabhoomi has existed for millennia. “According to our Puranas, including Bhagwatam, Kansa was the King of Mathura. God had appeared in his human form in the karagar of Kansa. This is a known fact. It is not fair to prolong a dispute over such an issue. Structures like Idgah only came a few centuries ago, but Kansa’s jail where thakurji appeared has existed for over 5000 years,” he added.
The Shahi Idgah mosque in Mathura was built on the orders of Emperor Aurangzeb adjacent to the Krishna Janmabhoomi — believed to be the place where Lord Krishna was born — after demolishing a temple.
At least a dozen cases have been filed in courts in Mathura by different petitioners. A common thread in all the petitions is a prayer for the removal of the mosque from the 13.77-acre complex, which it shares with the Katra Keshav Dev Temple.