Kesava Deo Temple
| Keshav Dev Temple | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | |
| Country: | India |
| State: | Uttar Pradesh |
| Location: | Mathura |
| Temple Details | |
| Primary Deity: | Krishna |
| Architecture and culture | |
| Architectural styles: | Dravidian architecture |
 |
|
Practices
|
 |
Krishna Janmasthan or Kesava Deo Temple is a temple in Mathura, India and is among the sacred of Hindu sites.
Contents |
[edit] History
It was built in Mathura over the prison which was believed to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna. In contemporary memory, it was built by Raja Vir Sinh Bundela of Orchaa, in the reign of Jehangir. The Rajput prince enjoyed a special favour with the Mughal on account of his support to Jehangir in his succession.
The site has been a deeply religious one for the Hindus. It is said that the first temple here was constructed almost 5,000 years ago by Vajranabha, the great-grandson of Lord Krishna. The next big temple was constructed here during the time of the Gupta Emperor Chandragupta Vikramaditya around 400 AD. This temple was so grand that it was said that neither painting nor description could describe it. Mahmud of Ghazni destroyed the temple in 1017 AD along with several other Hindu and Buddhist temples in the holy city of Mathura.[1][2]
Another temple was built here in 1150. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu visited this temple. It was destroyed in the 16th century during the reign of Sikander Lodi.
During the reign of Jahangir, Raja Veer Singh Bundela of Orchha constructed another temple about 75 m (250 ft) high at the cost of Rs 3.3 million.
[edit] Aurangzeb : Destruction of the Temple
The great temple of Keshava Rai at Mathura was built by Bir Singh Deo Bundela during Jahangir’s time at a cost of thirty-three lakhs of rupees. The Dehra of Keshava Rai was one of the most magnificent temples ever built in India and enjoyed veneration of the Hindus throughout the land. Prince Dara Shukoh, who was looked upon by the masses as the future Emperor, had presented a carved stone railing to the temple which was installed in front of the deity at some distance; the devotees stood outside this railing to have ‘darshan’ of Keshava Rai. The railing was removed on Aurangzeb’s orders in October 1666.[3]
The Dehra of Keshava Rai was demolished in the month of Ramzan, 1080 A.H. (13 January – 11 February 1670) by Aurangzeb’s order. “In a short time, by the great exertion of the officers, the destruction of this strong foundation of infidelity was accomplished and on its site a lofty mosque was built at the expenditure of a large sum”. To the author of Maasir-i-‘Alamigiri, the accomplishment of this “seemingly impossible work was an “instance of the strength of the Emperor’s faith”.[3][1]
Construction started on the Krishna Janmabhooomi Temple in 1965. Construction cost Rs 15 million. Next to the temple is a small room that looks like a prison cell, where it is said that Lord Krishna was born.
[edit] Evaluation
The objective behind the action of Aurangzeb in building a mosque near the birthplace of Lord Krishna seems to have been the need to weaken Hindu belief which was rising in the form of the Maratha Empire.
The flyover on NH-2 offers a majestic view of the beautiful temple together with the Jami Masjid which shares a wall with the temple juxtapositioned as an image that shows how communal harmony can exist and how the coexistence of a temple and a mosque in a holy place makes the city blissful.
[edit] Other temples with similar names
The name Kesava Deo Temple has been taken up by many other temples in and around Mathura.
- There is one temple beside the main Krishna Janmasthan complex which is gaining popularity among local people ever since the heavy security cover over the main Krishna Janmasthan complex.
- Keshav Dev Temple: Around the main Krishna Janmabhoomi complex there is another temple with the same name. Next to the Keshava Deo Temple is the room where it is said that Lord Krishna appeared.
- There is a temple near this one that claims to be the real appearance place of Krishna. It is about 250 m away, to the north of Potra Kunda. At this temple, there are deities of Vasudeva, Devaki, and four-armed Krishna. Darshan is from 8 am to 8 pm at this temple. This temple has gained popularity after the Krishna Janma Bhoomi complex was put under great security cover after incidents in Ayodhya 1990 and 1992.
[edit] Gallery
-
Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple sharing a wall with a mosque built by Aurangzeb
[edit] References
- ^ a b [1] Mathura & Vrindavan History
- ^ [2] Mathura temple
- ^ a b Sarkar, J.N.. "Error: no
|title=specified when using {{Cite web}}". Aurangzeb, Vol III. pp. 189. http://aurangazeb.wordpress.com/. Retrieved taken from URL - not checked.
[edit] External links
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
