The Mathura Krishna Janmabhoomi is one of the strongest points of contention between Hindus and Muslims in India, the other being the now resolved Sri Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya and the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi.
1. 3000 BCE: First Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple
The Sri Krishna Janmasthan Temple was first built by Vajranabha, Krishna’s great-grandson. The temple is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna. It’s one of the most significant places of worship for Hindus and holds a special place in Sanatana religion.
After the period, there had been temples built. One of the arches of a temple built around 2nd Century BCE shows an arch which was found during excavations of the Keshavdeva Temple.
2. 400 AD: Reconstruction by Vikramaditya
The temple was reconstructed under the reign of Chandragupta Vikramaditya1. Chandragupta Vikramaditya was a renowned emperor of the Gupta Empire in India, known for his wisdom, administrative skills, and patronage of arts and sciences1.
3. 1017 AD: Destruction by Raids of Mahmud Ghazni
Mahmud of Ghazni ordered the plunder of the Vrindavan and also ordered the destruction of the temples. He plundered all the gold and silver idols carrying all of them to Ghazna.
#NOTE: A stone inscription of 1150 AD (Vikram Samvat 1207) mentions that a person named Jajja, vassal of Gahadavala of Kannauj, built a Vishnu temple at the site. However, it is not clear if it talks about the same temple.
4. 1150 AD: Reconstruction by Emperor Dhurpet Dev Janjua
Raja Dhurpet Dev Janjua, the Emperor of Mathura, built the temple for the third time45. However, the details about Raja Dhurpet Dev Janjua and his reign are not widely documented5.
5. Destruction by Sikandar Lodhi
Abdullah, a court official of emperor Jahangir mentions that Sikandar Lodi ordered the destruction of Mathura and prohibited Hindus from bathing in the reiver or shaving heads there.
6. Rebuilt Temple by Veer Singh Deva Bundela
During the reign of King Veer Singh Deva Bundela, the temple was rebuilt with a cost of 33 Lakh Rupees (3.3 Million).
Three foreign visitors mentioned the temple as being built in red sandstone.
- Tavernier, a French Traveller
- Niccolao Manucci, Italian Traveller
The rebuilt temple was also visited by Mughal Prince Dara Shikoh who gifted a railing to the temple. This was later removed my Mathura’s Governor Abdun Nabi Khan who did so on the orders of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.
7. 17th century: Building of Shahi Idgah by Aurangzeb
During a Jat rebellion, Abdun Nabi Khan was killed. The area subsequently witnessed Mughal invasions again and this time by Aurangzeb.
The Shahi Idgah Masjid was reportedly built on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb was a controversial figure in Indian history, known for his religious intolerance and destruction of Hindu temples6.
The Shahi Idgah Mosque was built on the raised plinth (chabutara) of the Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple.
8. During British Period (1804-1947)
Mathura came under British control in 1804. The land was auctioned by the East India Company to Raja Patnimal, a wealthy banker from Benaras (now Varanasi) who wanted to build a temple but could not do so. His descendant Rai Krishna Das inherited the land.
Rai Krishna Das was challenged twice by muslims of Mathura but lost the case twice in 1935.
Madan Mohan Malviya bought the land from Rai Krishna Das with help from Jugal Kishore Birla with Rs. 13,000 on 7 Feb 1944.
After Malviya’s death, Birla formed a trust named Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust, which was later registered as Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan on 21 Feb 1951. He entrusted the construction to Jaidayal Dalmia. His grandson Anurag Dalmia is still a trustee.
The construction started in 21 Feb 1951 and was funded by business families including Ramnath Goenka.
9. 1968: Settlement Between Hindus and Muslims
A settlement was reached between the Sri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sangh, the temple management authority, and Shahi Idgah Masjid Trust which was mediated by Congress leader Ganesh Vasudev Malvankar.
10. May 12, 2022: Legal Case
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court ordered the Mathura court to dispose of all the cases related to the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute within four months411121314.