Qutab Minar not 'Vishnu Stambh', demand for rebuilding temples meaningless: EX-ASI official
New Delhi, Apr 11: Former additional director general of the ASI B R Mani on Monday dubbed as "mere imagination" the VHP's claim that the Qutab Minar was originally a 'Vishnu Stambh', and cautioned that any tampering with structures on the complex would result in the revocation of the Unesco world heritage status accorded to it in 1993.
Mani, however, said that it was a fact that 27 Hindu temples were demolished at the site and their remains were used in building Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque and the Qutab Minar as well but the demand for rebuilding these temples was "meaningless" as there was no trace of the location of these temples at the site.
Mani, who had been with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for over three decades, is currently the vice chairman of Indian Archaeological Society which promotes and spreads knowledge about archaeology in its all aspects.
The Vishva Hindu Parisad (VHP) on Saturday demanded that the government rebuild all the 27 Hindu temples at the Qutab Minar complex and allow Hindu rituals to resume at the site.
The outfit's national spokesperson Vinod Bansal also claimed that the 73-meter-high Qutab Minar was originally a 'Vishnu Stambh' on a temple of Lord Vishnu constructed during the times of a Hindu ruler.
Asked about the VHP claim, Mani told PTI, "I also believe that there were 27 temples. There are evidence to support it. Nobody has any doubt about it. But nobody knows where were those 27 temples located, what was their form, (structure) plan."
He said it's written on Qutbu'd-Din Aibak's inscription that Quwwat ul Islam mosque was built using the debris of the 27 temples demolished at the site.
"Remains of the temples are spread all over the site, but no elevation, plinth, or any other thing was found there that could have helped trace the location of those temples. Something should have been be found like Adhisthana (base platform)," he said.
"They (Muslim rulers) destroyed everything when they invaded and built the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque and erected the Minar on it, using the debris of the Hindu temples that they destroyed," he said.
Hence there is "no meaning" of reconstructing them, he said.
"And, if we do any tempering with the structures at Qutab Complex, Unesco world heritage site tag given to it will be withdrawn, and the site will be placed in the endangered list," he said, "Be it the VHP or any other party, no one would want this to happen."
Mani had directed 20 archaeological excavations in India, including at the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri mosque site in Ayodhya, during his 31-year-long service at the ASI.
Rejecting the VHP's claim that the Qutab Minar was originally a 'Vishnu Stambh' built on a Vishnu Temple, Mani said that a 20-25-foot-deep excavation had been carried out at the spot to strengthen the monument's foundation in 1967 but no trace of any temple was found.
"It's mere imagination. There was nothing there, no temple was found there," he said.
The 'Vishnu Stambh' is already there standing at the site in the form of an iron pillar, he said.
"The Minar cannot be a stambh like Ashokan pillars, which are monolithic, made of stone or iron. Minar is completely different structure," he said.
Several such kinds of minaret of the same period are there in Central Asia for any body to see, he said.
"So its is not fair to have any doubt over the Minar. People have studied it very well. And if any attempt is made to give it a different spin, then it is not right," Mani added.
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Kerala reels under heavy rains; IMD issues red alert in three districts
Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 26 (PTI): Heavy rains since Friday night have caused widespread damage across several parts of Kerala, raising water levels in rivers and dams and uprooting trees, which resulted in one death and injuries to several persons.
It also prompted the India Meteorological Department, on Saturday evening, to upgrade its rain alert status in Ernakulam, Idukki, and Thrissur districts from 'orange' to 'red'.
It also issued an 'orange alert' for Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod districts, and a 'yellow alert' for the remaining three.
A 'red alert' indicates "heavy to extremely heavy" rainfall of over 20 cm in 24 hours. An 'orange alert' denotes "very heavy" rainfall of 11 to 20 cm, while a 'yellow alert' signals "heavy rain" between 6 and 11 cm.
The IMD said rains are likely to persist over the next five days, accompanied by strong winds reaching speeds of 50-60 kmph till Sunday.
Fishing has been advised against along the Kerala-Karnataka-Lakshadweep coasts until July 30 due to rough seas and strong winds.
In Kozhikode, overnight rains and strong winds uprooted trees and caused extensive damage to houses and vehicles, prompting shifting of several families to safer places. However, no one was injured.
Power lines and electric poles were brought down, disrupting supply in many parts of the district.
Similar incidents were reported from Kottayam, Palakkad, and Kannur districts.
In Kannur, one person died when a tree fell on his house. In similar incidents in the district, few others were injured.
In Kottayam, besides the damage to homes due to uprooted trees, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) suffered a loss of Rs 2.43 crore due to several electric poles and power cables being brought down by the strong winds and rain in the district on Friday and Saturday.
In Kuttanad and Upper Kuttanad regions of Alappuzha district, the heavy rains resulted in inundation of several low-lying areas, including roads and homes, and rise in river waters to dangerous levels.
With water levels rising in their catchment areas, shutters of the Banasura Sagar dam in Wayanad, the Aliyar dam in Palakkad and Kakkayam Dam in Kozhikode district have been raised to release excess water.
Residents living downstream have been advised to stay vigilant.
The Irrigation Design and Research Board (IDRB) and Central Water Commission (CWC) have issued alerts for several rivers that have "risen dangerously", including the Manimala, Achankovil, and Pamba rivers in Pathanamthitta; Vamanapuram in Thiruvananthapuram; Pallikkal in Kollam, Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam and Thodupuzha in Idukki.
People residing along riverbanks have been urged to exercise caution and avoid entering or crossing the water bodies.
Meanwhile, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has warned of possible sea surges and high waves reaching 2.8 to 3.4 metres along the Kasaragod and Alappuzha coasts till 8.30 pm on Sunday.
Fishermen and coastal residents have been advised to remain alert, it added.
