jackpot city casino Shahi Eidgah-Krishna Janmabhoomi Dispute: A Timeline

The Shahi Eidgah in 1949 The Shahi Eidgah in 1949

The Supreme Court recently extended its stay on the formation of a commission for a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah Masjid in Mathura, following claims by Hindu petitioners that the site was originally a temple. This case is not an isolated one—several places of worship, including Gyanvapi, Babri Masjid, and Sambhal Jama Masjid, have faced similar disputes over historical and religious claims.

Outlook looks at the timeline of the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah controversy:

Post-Colonial Ownership of the Mathura Land

The ownership of the 13-acre land in Mathura has changed hands multiple times—auctioned by the East India Company in 1815, bought by Raja Patnimal, later acquired by Jugal Kishore Birla in 1944, and placed under the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust in 1951. 

Over the years, with disputes arising over ownership, a compromise was reached in 1968 between the Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sangh and the Shahi Idgah committee. The agreement granted the temple land to the Trust while confirming the Idgah committee’s authority over the mosque, with the Seva Sangh relinquishing any legal claim over it.

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Supreme Court Extends Stay On Allahabad High Court's Order For Mathura Shahi Eidgah Survey

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Petition Challenging the 1968 deal

In 2020, advocate Ranjana Agnihotri and six others filed a lawsuit challenging the 1968 compromise between the Seva Sangh and the Shahi Idgah committee. On September 24, they filed a petition at a Mathura court to remove the 17th-century Shahi Idgah mosque, arguing that it was built on land belonging to the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust. They claimed that architectural features like a ‘kalash’ and a pinnacle indicated the site was originally a Hindu temple and sought the mosque’s removal and the land’s restoration to the Trust.

The Hindu petitioners claim that a temple built in 1618 by Raja Veer Singh Bundela was demolished in 1670 on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb to construct the Shahi Idgah mosque.

They also contested the 1968 agreement between the Shahi Idgah Mosque Committee and the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust, which permitted the mosque to occupy the land it stands on, saying the trust didn’t have the authority to do so.

High Court orders survey

On December 14, 2023  the Allahabad High Court ordered a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah mosque to examine the historical claims made by both sides and approved the appointment of a court commission for the inspection.

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SC stays survey

In January 2024, the Supreme Court put a hold on the Allahabad High Court’s order for a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah mosque, finding the purpose of appointing a commissioner to be "vague". 

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A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta noted legal concerns with the High Court’s decision and questioned the basis of the survey request. The mosque committee argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed under the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which maintains the religious status of sites as they were on August 15, 1947.

Stay extended

On January 22jackpot city casino, 2025, the Supreme Court extended its stay on the Allahabad High Court’s order for a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah Mosque and deferred the hearing to April 1.