Harihar Sena to hold padyatra around Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid on Nov 19
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Sambhal: Mahant Rishi Raj Giri, a Hindu litigant in the Shahi Jama Masjid–Harihar Mandir title dispute, announced on Sunday that his organisation, Harihar Sena, will conduct a 2.5-km circumambulation of the “disputed site” on November 19.
No official permission has yet been sought for the one-day event, dubbed the ‘Harihar Mandir Padyatra’, which marks the first anniversary of the court-ordered survey conducted at the site on November 19 last year, Giri said.
The Mughal-era mosque has been at the centre of a contentious dispute after a petition claimed it was built over the site of an ancient Hindu temple. The case concerning the Shahi Jama Masjid–Harihar Mandir title is currently being heard in the Supreme Court, the Allahabad High Court, and the district court. Violence had erupted during protests against the survey on November 24 last year, leaving four people dead.
Officials on Sunday said they had no information about the proposed padyatra.
Addressing a press conference, Mahant Rishi Raj Giri of Kela Devi temple, who also founded the International Harihar Sena, said the event will begin at 10 a.m. Participants will travel by vehicle up to Motinagar and then undertake a 2.5-km foot march around the outer boundary of the disputed complex before returning to Kela Devi temple.
“Our message is simple — Harihar Mandir was, is, and will remain a temple. The matter is before the court, and we fully respect the judicial process. We will only perform the circumambulation of the Harihar Mandir precincts,” he said.
When asked about administrative permission, Giri said no formal discussions had taken place, describing the event as a “social, religious, and spiritual activity.”
Meanwhile, police said an FIR has been registered against two members of the Shahi Jama Masjid management committee for allegedly misbehaving with Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials and preventing them from entering the main dome during a survey.
The FIR, filed at Sambhal police station, stated that ASI Superintending Archaeologist Vinod Singh Rawat had led a team from the ASI’s Meerut Circle to the centrally protected mosque on October 8 for conservation work. During the visit, committee staffer Hafiz allegedly summoned Mohammad Kasif Khan, and both obstructed the ASI team from entering the main dome. The complaint further stated that an unidentified person tried to create a dispute, used objectionable language, and disturbed the team, forcing them to return to Meerut without completing the inspection.
With PTI inputs