‘Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque near Qutub Minar was built after demolishing 27 temples: Archaeologist KK Muhammed

Famous Indian archaeologist KK Muhammed revealed that 27 temples were demolished to build the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque near Qutub Minar in Delhi, during a debate at a World Heritage Day event in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal on Monday (April 18).

"Remnants of temples, including Lord Ganesha's temple, were discovered near Qutub Minar. It establishes the existence of a temple," said the 69-year-old, who has been honoured with India's fourth highest civilian honor, Padma Shri.

Muhammed, however, said that the Qutub Minar was a different structure with its own minarets, adding that relevant evidence must be thoroughly examined before a conclusion can be reached.

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The Delhi Tourism website says, "An inscription over its eastern gate provocatively informs us that it was built with material obtained from demolishing ’27 Hindu temples."

At the Mangaluru Lit Fest in 2019, KK Muhammed, one of the archaeologists involved in the excavation of the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi site, had said it was advisable for Muslims to voluntarily hand over the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and the Idgah in Mathura, Lord Krishna's birthplace, to the Hindus. In Ayodhya, he added, they squandered a golden opportunity.

While these constructions were merely mosques for Muslims, they were locations of high devotion for Hindus, just as Mecca-Madina was for Muslims, according to Muhammad.

(With inputs from agencies)