Petition claims Budaun mosque Shiva temple site

Budaun (UP), September 3

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A plea has been filed in a court here claiming that Jama Masjid Shamsi in Budaun city is a temple of Lord Shiva and seeks permission for followers of the Sanatan Dharma to offer prayers at the site, a lawyer for the petitioners said on Saturday.

A separate application has been filed in the matter urging the court to appoint a commission for a survey of the site. The mosque is built on an elevated area called Sotha Mohalla and is considered the highest structure in the town of Budaun. It is also believed to be the third oldest existing and seventh largest mosque in the country, having a capacity of 23,500.

Civil Judge Vijay Gupta took up the matter on Friday and directed the Intezamia Committee managing the Shamsi Jama Masjid to present its side on September 15, when the court will next hear the matter. Ved Prakash Sahu, an advocate for the petitioners, said the plea contended that the building was not of Jama Masjid, but an ancient Ishaan mandir of Neelkanth Mahadev Maharaj.