This is a heart-wrenching tale of the medieval response to the destruction of temples and image desecration across the land from Sun Temple of Multan in West to Kamakhya Temple in East, from Sharda Temple, Kashmir in the north to Temples of Tamilnadu in South. (1/n)
From primary sources in a well-researched book author, Meenakshi Jain traces the journey of Deities and outlines how temples were built again and again after their destruction by multiple waves of attack by theologically inspired Is!@mic invaders. (2/n)
The book examines the continuous desperate attempts to safeguard the images by ferreting them out of the Temples to some safer places, by burying them in the ground, by moving them from one place to another, by hiding it in forests, etc. (3/n)
These attempts succeeded sometimes and sometimes it failed. It took years, decades, even centuries for images to be unearthed and to be escorted back to their abodes. In several cases, images were damaged in flight and countless images (and temples) were lost forever. (4/n)
The book reminds us of the heroic resistance of our ancestors, their indomitable sacrifice, their unflinching faith and devotion, their common zeal to save Deities, and rebuilt our Temples again and again against all the odds. (5/n)
It reminds us that our survival came at a huge cost in spite of Is!@mic Invaders not because they didn't try to wipe out our native culture. (6/n)
Reproducing some of the writings/speech by this Stalinist known as an 'eminent historian':
1. Lord Indra is 'rowdy & amoral'. 2. The god Krishna has a 'rather questionable personal record'. 3. Lord Shiva is just 'a development of phallic cults'.
4. Bhakti is just the reflection of the complete dependence of the serfs or tenants on the landowners in the context of Indian feudal society. 5. Another myth which, through repetition has been made to stick to the artifact called Hinduism is that it is a tolerant religion.
6. Hinduism is d youngest of all religions, a 19th-century neologism popularized by d British. 7. Nor did any sanatandharma exists,it had to wait for its first codification by d Englishwoman, Annie Besant who,in collaboration with..Bhagwan Das drew up a textbook on sanatandharma.
In Jan1670, Krishna Janmsthan Temple was destroyed on orders of Aurangzeb.
The contemporary account Ma’sir-i-‘Ãlamgiri records:
"On 27th January: During this month of Ramzan..d reviver of the faith of the Prophet issued orders for d demolition of d temple situated in Mathura..
..famous as the Dehra of Kesho Rai. In a short time by the great exertions of his officers the destruction of this strong foundation of infidelity was accomplished, and on its site a lofty mosque was built.. (2/4)
..Praised be the august God of the faith of !zl@m, that in the auspicious reign of this destroyer of infidelity and turbulence, such a wonderful and seemingly impossible work was successfully accomplished... (3/4)
Not eating beef is not only religious for Hindus but it also has some historical-political context. As @Infinitchy says it is a symbol of H resistance.
In medieval India, cow slaughter was rampantly used as a symbol of Hindu subjugation by Invaders.
Here are some instances:
1. Firuz Shah Tughlaq broke the idols and mixing the fragments with pieces of cow’s flesh, filled bags with them, and caused them to be tied around the necks of Brahmins who were then paraded through the camp
(Tarikh-i-Firishta)
2. In the reign of Akbar near Nagarkot in an idol temple nearly 200 black cows were killed and then Turks took off their boots and filled them with the blood and cast it up on the roof and walls of the temple. (Tabqat-i-Akbari )
The 'greatest Hindu' blamed Hindus for the Moplah genocide of Hindus. Gandhi said:
"Hindus must find out the causes of Moplah fanaticism. They will find that they are not without blame...it is no use now becoming angry with the Moplahs or the Muzulmans in general." 26th Jan 1922
After the Moplah genocide of Hindus, the 'greatest Hindu' asked Hindus to love Moplahs more. Gandhi said:
"..Even so is it more necessary for a Hindu to love the Moplah and the Muzulman more when the latter is likely to injure him or has already injured him" 26th Jan 1922
The 'greatest Hindu' whitewashed the Moplah genocide of Hindus by calling it a revolt and felt that it came as a blessing. Gandhi said:
"I feel the Moplah revolt has come as a blessing to a system that is crumbling to pieces by the weight of its own enormity" 20th Oct 1921
"He [Gandhi] has no reason in him at all, never was reasonable at any moment in his life & I suppose never will be..I don't think he is himself really sure what he will do next.He has not only 2 minds but 3 or 4 minds."
31/7/1932
"Gandhi is a European- truly a Russian Christain in an Indian body...What he preaches is not Indian spirituality but something derived from Russian Christianity, non-violence, suffering, etc" - Sri Aurobindo on 22nd June 1926
"All his [Gandhi] preaching is derived from Christianity and though the garb is Indian the essential spirit is Christian. He may not be Christ, but at any rate, he comes in continuation of the same impulsion." - Sri Aurobindo on 22nd June 1926
Today is d birth anniversary of d veteran historian R. C. Majumdar who refused to bend history to suit the interest of secularists & presented Izl@mic imperialism in medieval India as it was & not as Stalinist & Muzlim historians & d politicians were tailoring it to become. (1/n)
For him, this “national integration” based on willful blindness to the recorded history of the havoc wrought by Izl@m in India, could lead only to national suicide. (2/n)
He writes: "Unfortunately, slogans and beliefs die hard and many Indians especially Hindus are peculiarly sensitive to any comments or observations touching upon the communal relation in any way. (3/n)