Jama Masjid

Court to hear Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid-Harihar temple dispute on Aug 28

A court in Chandausi on Thursday fixed August 28 to hear the ongoing Shahi Jama Masjid-Harihar temple dispute. The matter was listed for hearing before civil judge (senior division) Aditya Singh. Advocate of the Hindu side, Shri Shri Gopal Sharma told PTI that on Thursday the opposite side filed an application saying since this matter was pending in the Supreme Court, the present court did not have the jurisdiction to hear this case. The matter was then deferred to August 28. The Muslim side has challenged the maintainability of the case in the Allahabad High Court, but on May 19, the high court upheld the trial court's order permitting a court-monitored survey and directed it to proceed with the matter. While talking to reporters, Shahi Jama Masjid's advocate Qasim Jamal confirmed filing the application and a judgment related to the Worship Act. It was directed till the Supreme Court heard the case, all religious matters will not be heard by any other court, he added. "Neither

Head of Sambhal's Jama Masjid Management booked for violating orders

A case has been registered against the chairman of the Shahi Jama Masjid Management Committee and several others for allegedly taking out a celebratory procession in Sambhal following his release from jail, police said here on Wednesday. An FIR was lodged at the Sambhal Kotwali police station on Tuesday on a complaint from Sub-Inspector Ashish Tomar against Zafar Ali, the chairman of the Shahi Jama Masjid Management Committee, along with Sarfaraz, Tahir, Haider and 50 to 60 unidentified people for allegedly violating prohibitory orders, a police statement said. Ali was in jail in connection with the violence that occurred during the survey of the Jama Masjid in this Uttar Pradesh district last year. He was released from the Moradabad jail on August 1, the police statement said. Following Ali's release, a 40-km roadshow was taken out from Moradabad to Sambhal. Several events to welcome him, including flower showers on the convoy, were held along the route. Police took suo-motu ...

Sambhal mosque row: Court defers hearing to Aug 5 due to lawyers' strike

A civil court in Chandausi on Monday deferred the hearing in the ongoing dispute over the Shahi Jama Masjid-Harihar temple to August 5 due to the strike by the local bar association. Civil judge (senior division) Aditya Singh was scheduled to hear the matter. The Muslim side had previously challenged the maintainability of the case in the Allahabad High Court, but on May 19, the high court upheld the subordinate court's order permitting a court-monitored survey and directed the trial court to proceed with the hearing. Advocate Shri Gopal Sharma, appearing for the Hindu side, told PTI, Due to the condolence meeting and strike by the bar association today, the court has fixed August 5 as the next date of hearing. District government counsel Prince Sharma confirmed the state government submitted an affidavit in court today. The matter pertains to a dispute over the Shahi Jama Masjid and the claimed Harihar Mandir. The high court's earlier stay was vacated on May 19, and the documents

Allahabad HC upholds survey of Sambhal Mosque amid temple claim dispute

The court dismissed the mosque committee's plea and upheld the trial court's order for a survey after Hindu plaintiffs claimed the site was once a Harihar temple

India to celebrate Eid on Monday as moon sighted in Srinagar, Sambhal

President Droupadi Murmu greeted Indians on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr

Whitewashing of Shahi Jama Masjid's outer wall begins after HC order

The whitewashing of the outer wall of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal began on Sunday morning, an advocate of the mosque side said. The Allahabad High Court on March 12 directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to undertake and complete the whitewashing at the mosque within one week. Following the high court order, an ASI team carried out measurements and assessments on March 13. "The whitewashing of the outer wall of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal began on Sunday," Shakeel Warsi, an advocate representing the mosque side in the Sambhal district court told PTI. Sambhal has been tense after riots broke out on November 24 last year following a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, a Mughal-era mosque here. Four people were killed and several, including police personnel, were injured in the clashes.

Whitewashing of Sambhal's Jama Masjid outer wall likely to begin on Sunday

The whitewashing of the outer wall of the Shahi Jama Masjid in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal is likely begin on Sunday, a mosque official said. Secretary of Shahi Jama Masjid Masood Farooqui on Saturday said an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) team came to the mosque around noon and held a discussion about how much labour and material is required. We are trying to start it today, otherwise it will begin tomorrow," he said. The Allahabad High Court on March 12 directed the ASI to undertake and complete the whitewashing at the mosque within one week. Following the High Court order, an ASI team carried out measurements and assessments on March 13. After this the Shahi Jama Masjid's president Zafar Ali had said that the painting work will begin at the mosque after Holi. Farooqui said, "These people (ASI) are saying that they will start from tomorrow. We have told them that the High Court has given seven days, out of which three days have passed." Three people have come here as a part o

Allahabad HC directs ASI to whitewash Sambhal Jama Masjid's outer facade

The court directed the ASI to undertake the whitewashing, with costs being covered by the mosque committee

No work should be done on Sambhal mosque without ASI approval: DM

A day after the Shahi Jama Masjid management sought the ASI's permission to redecorate the mosque ahead of Ramzan, the Sambhal administration on Monday said no work should be done without the agency's approval. Shahi Jama Masjid management committee president Zafar Ali told reporters on Sunday that it had written to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), seeking permission to clean, paint and decorate the mosque ahead of Ramzan. Asked about the management committee's letter to the ASI, Sambhal District Magistrate Rajender Pensiya told reporters that the matter was pending in court and the property belonged to the ASI. "The ASI has to take a decision. We have said that until the ASI grants permission, no one has the right to tamper with it (mosque) in any way," he said. "I don't think there is any need for painting this type of a disputed structure. Still, the ASI should take a decision. There is nothing from our side," he added. In its letter, management committee emphasised th

Sambhal court to hear Jama Masjid-Harihar temple case on March 5

A local court has fixed March 5 as the next date of hearing in a case connected to the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid and its survey at Chandausi. "The Supreme Court has directed all the lower courts not to entertain new suits seeking surveys of any place of worship until further orders. We have filed a copy of the said order in the court, which fixed March 5 as the next date of hearing," Shakil Ahmad Wari, advocate representing the Muslim side, told reporters. When told about the Hindu side's claims that the mosque was built over an ancient Harihar temple, Wari said it is for the court to decide on the matter. "We will prove in the court that it was not a Harihar temple, but Jama Masjid. We have all the evidence," he said. Tensions escalated in Sambhal since November 19 last year, when a court-mandated survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid began following claims that a Harihar temple once stood on the site. The situation turned violent on November 24 during the second survey when protest

Mosque survey report almost complete, will be filed in Jan: Sambhal court

The survey report of the Shahi Jama Masjid is almost complete and will be submitted in the court in January, 2025, the court-appointed commissioner recently said. Advocate Ramesh Singh Raghav, who was appointed as the court commissioner in the matter, on December 23 said the report would be either filed on January 2 or January 3. "The survey report of Shahi Jama Masjid is almost in the final stage and complete. There are some technical issues, which will be adjusted today. As it is the last working day of the court after which it will close. As far as the survey report is concerned, it will be filed on January 2 or 3. There is a stay order of the Supreme Court to the trial court not to take any action till January 6 hence the survey report will be filed before this date," Raghav told media persons. On November 19, the court passed an ex-parte order for the mosque's survey by an advocate commissioner after taking note of the plea of the Hindu side claiming the mosque was built by ...

Budaun court to decide on Jan 18 over plea on temple at mosque site

A court will on January 18 decide whether it will hear a plea claiming the existence of Neelkanth temple at the Jama Masjid Shamsi mosque site in Budaun. Civil judge (senior sivision) Amit Kumar posted the matter of January 18, 2025 when it will decide whether the matter would be heard or not, advocate Ved Prakash Sahu, representing the Hindu side said on December 23. Lawyers from both sides had put forth their respective sides on December 17. The lawyer said he court did not pass any decision and fixed January 18 as the date owing to the ensuing district bar association elections. The dispute started in 2022 when Mukesh Patel, the then convener of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, claimed the temple existed at the mosque site and sought permission to worship in the structure. On December 12, the Supreme Court restrained all the courts in the country from entertaining and passing any effective interim or final orders on any lawsuits seeking reliefs including survey of religious places

Sambhal admin launches drive against encroachment near Jama Masjid

The campaign will continue for two to three months and all encroachments will be cleared

Sambhal mosque row: ASI seeks control, management of Mughal-era structure

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has submitted its response in a court -- which had allowed a survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid here -- seeking control and management of the Mughal-era mosque as it is a protected heritage structure. Representing the ASI, lawyer Vishnu Sharma said the agency submitted its counterargument in the court on Friday, stating that it faced resistance from the mosque's management committee and locals in conducting surveys of the site. He said the ASI also highlighted an incident from January 19, 2018, when an FIR was filed against the mosque's management committee for installing steel railings on the mosque's steps without proper authorisation. The mosque, notified as an ASI-protected monument in 1920, is under the purview of the agency and as such, public access to the structure should be permitted, provided it adheres to ASI regulations, Sharma said. The ASI argued that control and management of the monument, including any structural modifications,

Sambhal mosque row: Supreme Court appeals for peace; top updates

The Supreme Court on November 29, urged for peace and harmony in Sambhal while addressing the contentious dispute surrounding the Shahi Jama Masjid. Watch the video to know more.

Sambhal violence - What happened and why?

Recent escalation in violent protests over a survey in UP’s Sambhal district led to 4 deaths, and left over 20 security personnel injured. What sparked the violence and what is the survey about?

Tight security outside Sambhal's Shahi Jama Masjid ahead of Friday prayers

On Thursday, Sambhal town turned into a fortress with two of the three approach roads to the mosque, located at the centre of the town, being sealed

Declaring Jama Masjid protected monument will have big impact: ASI to HC

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that declaring the historic Jama Masjid a "protected monument" would have a "substantial impact" and no steps have been taken in this regard so far. In an affidavit filed in response to PILs on the issue, the ASI said once a monument is declared a protected monument, certain regulations and prohibitions in the area around it come into force. It further said that although the Mughal-era Jama Masjid is currently under the protection and guardianship of Delhi Waqf Board, the ASI has been undertaking conservation and preservation work there. A bench headed by Justice Prathiba M Singh orally said it was not inclined to declare Jama Masjid a "protected monument" in view of the stand of the ASI and ordered the petitioners to file their notes with respect to the steps that should be taken for the protection of the historic structure. "They (ASI) are saying there is a hesitation. There is an impact of declaring

LS polls: Chandni Chowk to Connaught Place, weak demand worries businesses

Even as the manifestos cutting across party lines have made promises galore, traders, mainly at mithai shops in Chandni Chowk, are already looking at June 4 - the result day for LS polls

Shahi Imam successor: Investiture ceremony underway at Jama Masjid

A 'dastarbandi (investiture)' ceremony during which Jama Masjid's incumbent Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari will declare his son "as his successor" is currently underway in the courtyard of the grand mosque. The ceremony at the Mughal-era mosque built by Emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century is expected to last more than an hour. Several 'ulemas (Islamic scholars)' are attending the ceremony for which the mosque -- a veritable symbol of old Delhi or Shahjehanabad and a celebrated landmark -- has been decked up. Some congratulatory posters bearing images of the Shahi Imam and his son have been put up along the street running in front of the mosque, whose architecture draws awe from both locals and foreign tourists. The ceremony involves tying a 'dastarbandi (turban)' on the head, according to the old 'riwaz (tradition)' associated with the investiture, the official said. Syed Shaban Bukhari (29) was anointed as the mosque's Naib Imam in a 'dastarbandi' ceremony in November 2014, the