Malda, July 26 -- Security has been significantly tightened around the historic Adina Mosque in Malda as a religious procession carrying an Adinath Shivling from Tarakeswar moved closer to the district amid renewed demands by Hindu organisations to "reclaim" the ASI-protected monument, which they claim was originally the site of an ancient Adinath Shiva Temple.
The entire stretch leading to the old Adinath Shiva Temple has been placed under heavy police surveillance, with central forces, intelligence personnel and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials deployed around the monument. Barricades, barbed-wire fencing and security checkpoints have transformed the area into a virtual fortress ahead of Monday's planned religious gathering on the second Monday of the holy month of Shravan.
The Shivling procession, organised by the Hindu Suraksha Samiti, reached Dhuliyan in Murshidabad on Saturday evening after beginning its journey from Tarakeswar on July 20. Following special prayers at the Dhuliyan Hindu Milan Mandir, the devotees halted for the night at the Krishna Temple in Malancha-Tarapur and resumed their journey to Adina on Sunday. The procession travelled through Arambagh, Bardhaman, Bhedia, Sainthia, Rampurhat and Nalhati before heading towards Malda.
Samserganj Police supervised the procession under strict security. Organisers praised the police and state administration for ensuring its peaceful passage.
Hindu Suraksha Samiti state president Abhijit Chandra Das said: "We believe the Adina Mosque was built after demolishing an ancient Hindu temple nearly 800 years ago. Our movement is aimed at reclaiming the Adinath Temple through legal means. We have not faced any obstruction during the yatra and appreciate the cooperation extended by the police and the state administration."
Kajal Goswami, adviser to the old Adinath Shiva Temple, claimed: "Ancient stone idols are still recovered from old ponds in this region, indicating the existence of several temples before the Sultanate and Mughal periods."
However, Muslim organisations have urged that the status of the protected monument remain unchanged. Mohammad Asif Hossain, Secretary of the Atkoshi Anjuman Akbaria Islamia Malda City Muslim Committee, said: "India is a secular democracy where everyone has the right to practise their religion. We have no objection to a temple outside the protected area, but the ASI-protected Adina Mosque must remain untouched."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.