Jama Masjid of Bhopal built on Shiva temple, Sabha Mandal [ Madhya Pradesh, India ]

[ Reported as seen ]

Jama Masjid of Bhopal was built by the then ruler of Bhopal, Qudsia Begum. In Qudsia Begum’s biography Hayati Qudsi, reveals that an that  ancient Shiva temple called Sabha Mandal of 12th century was encroached to build Jama masjid.

Chapter 14 of Hayati Qudsi,  says , “ Qudsia’s fine mosque took about 25 years to complete. It was founded on the site of an old Hindoo temple called the Sabha Mandal.”

Further it talks about the temple, “ The old ruined Hindoo temple, Sabha Mandal, which it succeeded had an interesting inscription on which it says the following particulars :- “ Rani Salmali, wife of Raja Vidia Dat, built a great stone temple named Sabha Mandal near the fort. It was commenced in the Sambat year 1208 ( 1151 A.D. ) and finished on Monday the 3^rd month of Kartik Badi 1241 Sambat ( 1184 A.D.) . The Rani and Raja appointed 500 Brahmins to carry on worship in the temple and to teach the 4 Vedas, 6 Shashtras, 18 Puranas and Prosody and other branches of learning in Sanskrit tongue.”

Hayat Qudsi mentions that the construction of the mosque began on 1248 A.H. ( 1832 A.D ), that is after 648 years the magnificient temple was destroyed to build a mosque on top of it. The knowledge, the architecture all of it wiped off from the face of the earth.

A mosque could have been built on yet another place if it was plainly for the purpose of worshiping.