Concerns for Charminar as silver coins, VIP visits fuel Bhagyalakshmi temple surge

Hyderabad's 435-year-old Charminar is at the centre of a fresh controversy as massive crowds throng the Bhagyalakshmi Temple adjoining the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected monument during Diwali and days leading to it. While the distribution of free silver coins is said to be drawing thousands of devotees to the temple, which has been at the centre of a row, it has also been seeing a steady stream of visits by BJP and BRS leaders. However, the massive rush at the Bhagyalakshmi Temple has raised concerns among Muslim activists and commentators over the safety of the Charminar and the temple's disputed origins.Some Muslim activists are alleging that the Charminar could meet a Babri Masjid-like fate, while others are accusing the authorities of lending legitimacy to a temple previously described as unauthorised by the ASI. The controversy dates back decades, and the Andhra Pradesh High Court ordered a status quo on construction at the temple in 2012.Visuals of devotees queuing for hundreds of metres in Hyderabad's walled city to visit the Bhagyalakshmi Temple adjoining Charminar are being shared on social media."It's a matter of great pride," K Laxman, former Telangana BJP president and currently a Rajya Sabha MP, told ANI, welcoming the growing number of devotees at the temple. Hyderabad-based social activist Saif Ul Islam Farooqui questioned the Telangana Police in the Congress-ruled state, asking, "Why did the police make arrangements that provide legitimacy to an illegal temple?" AIMIM leader Mohammed Mubashir alleged that parties like the Congress and BRS had "legalised this and made temporary erections" despite the High Court's status quo order.Sanjaya Baru, media adviser to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, wrote on X, "The destruction of Charminar is happening." The massive rush also prompted Hyderabad Traffic Police to issue an advisory on Monday (November 9), warning commuters of congestion on several roads around the Charminar.The rush at the Bhagyalakshmi Temple began last week, even before Dhanteras on November 6, and intensified with the distribution of free silver coins, known as Khazana. The distribution is scheduled to continue until November 11. Earlier, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the temple on November 2, followed by several BJP and BRS leaders during the festival. The Telangana Governor and his wife also visited the temple and offered "special prayers".The Bhagyalakshmi Temple was earlier at the centre of a controversy, including when BJP leaders demanded Hyderabad to be renamed Bhagyanagar. UP CM Yogi Adityanath visited the temple in 2022. The BJP's 2024 Hyderabad Lok Sabha candidate Madhavi Latha offered prayers there before filing her nomination. In June 2024, BJP leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar even vowed to turn it into "a golden temple" if the party came to power in Telangana.SILVER COINS, SWELLING CROWDS, VIP VISITS AT HYDERABAD'S BHAGYALAKSHMI TEMPLEThe Deccan Chronicle reported on November 9 that queues to enter the Bhagyalakshmi Temple stretched as far as Gulzar Houz, a historic square around 500 metres from the Charminar, as devotees waited to receive free silver coins. The coins, placed at the feet of Goddess Lakshmi during prayers, bear her image on one side and that of the Charminar on the other. Devotees believe the coins bring prosperity and good fortune.Temple authorities arranged four queues and kept the shrine open round the clock for the distribution. Temple trustee Shashikala said the turnout was unexpected.A devotee, Srilatha, told the Deccan Chronicle, "The crowds have increased significantly over the years. Until 2019, there used to be very little rush, but now devotees have to wait for hours in queues."The visits by leaders, mostly from the BJP but also from the opposition BRS, began even before Diwali.On November 2, Union Home Minister Amit Shah offered prayers at the temple before leading a BJP padayatra against the Opposition's campaign over electoral rolls.On November 6, BRS MLA D Sudheer Reddy offered prayers on Dhanteras. BJP leader and former national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao also visited the shrine with his family.Former Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya visited on November 7. According to ANI, he described the temple as "a sacred place with a rich history."On November 8, Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and his wife Janaki Shukla offered special prayers, according to PTI. Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao and BJP Rajya Sabha MP K Laxman also visited the temple, local media reported.Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao told ANI, "Diwali is being celebrated with great enthusiasm across Telangana, particularly at Hyderabad's popular Bhagyalakshmi Temple, which is visited by lakhs of devotees every year.""It is a matter of great pride that the temple's popularity continues to grow, with devotees visiting from across the country," K Laxman, Rajya Sabha MP from UP and BJP OBC Morcha national president, told ANI, welcoming the growing number of devotees.BRS MLA Talasani Srinivas Yadav and Telangana State Planning Board vice-chairperson Vijayalaxmi Gadwal also offered prayers at the temple with their families during Diwali.The swelling crowds prompted traffic restrictions from November 6 to 11. On November 9, Hyderabad Traffic Police reported slow movement between Salar Jung Museum, Madina and High Court Road, and on the Afzalgunj-Nayapul stretch.WHY MUSLIM ACTIVISTS ARE EXPRESSING CONCERNThe visuals of celebrations and the surge of devotees has drawn criticism from several Muslim activists and political leaders, who question the temple's legal status and the implications for the Charminar.Hyderabad journalist Mubashir Khurram took to X and said, "Thousands of devotees visited the Bhagya Laxmi temple for Deepavali. Police ensured security and traffic management. But who is ensuring the protection of the 435-year-old Charminar? Can the ASI publicly clarify the legal status of every structure adjoining this protected monument?"AIMIM leader Mohammed Mubashir said, "That day is near when we will see Babri Masjid as like fate for the Charminar in Hyderabad," he alleged, while referring to the ASI's earlier finding and the High Court's status quo order.In a separate post on X, he also questioned the absence of legal intervention, asking, "Why is no 'Muslim Advocate' knocking on the door of the HC with a personal petition?!"Social activist SQ Masood, co-founder of The Democracy Dialogue, questioned the symbolism of Diwali celebrations at politically sensitive locations."We Indian Muslims understand what you mean by celebrating Diwali at Lal Chowk (Jammu and Kashmir), the Bhagyalakshmi Temple (Charminar), and Ram Mandir (Ayodhya), etc. Is this really the message that festivals are meant to convey?" he asked.Hyderabad-based social activist Saif Ul Islam Farooqui questioned the police arrangements by the administration for the surge of devotees at the site he called "illegal". "Why did the police make arrangements that provide legitimacy to an illegal temple?"Sanjaya Baru, media adviser to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, warned, "The destruction of Charminar is happening. Fiction converted into Fact. The destruction of Hyderabad is afoot!"He accused the BJP of attempting to communalise Telangana politics and come to power. He added that it was "Warning bells for Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, BRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao, his son and former minister KT Rama Rao, and Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.WHAT IS THE CONTROVERSY AROUND THE BHAGYALAKSHI TEMPLE?The controversy surrounding the Bhagyalakshmi Temple predates the latest celebrations and the subsequent row by decades. It took an ugly turn when the Congress was in power in undivided Andhra Pradesh.Charminar was built in 1591 during the reign of Golconda Sultan and Hyderabad's founder, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah. But the origin of the Bhagyalakshmi Temple adjoining Charminar's southeastern minaret is disputed.In a 2013 report, the India Today Magazine cited an ASI response to an RTI application filed by Hyderabad-based RTI activist and civic campaigner Masood. The agency classified the temple as an "unauthorised construction".The ASI supplied photographs from 1959, 1980 and 2003. The 1959 photograph showed no temple structure, while a structure appeared in the later photographs.There is also a striking account of the shrine's origins.In August 2001, The Times of India reported that a stone marked "0-Hyderabad" stood near Charminar's southeastern minaret. It was reportedly struck by a lorry in 1969, after which the Bhagyalakshmi Temple came up.Three-time Varanasi Lok Sabha seat candidate Athar Jamal Lari has made a similar claim. He told YouTube channel Khoj Khabariya that he saw people applying vermilion to a stone even before an idol was installed there. He alleged that the temple subsequently expanded following episodes of communal violence.Lari, who contested the Varanasi seat against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024 on a BSP ticket, questioned AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi's silence over restrictions on Muslim worship at Charminar. "There is a mazar inside Charminar, but people are not allowed to visit it. People have also been stopped from entering the mosque, and namaz is no longer offered there. Has this person [Owaisi] ever uttered a single word about it?" Lari asked.In 2012, historian Narender Luther told The Times of India that the Bhagyalakshmi Temple was erected by locals in the 1960s and that "there was nothing at the site before that."In late October 2012, tensions erupted over construction work at the Bhagyalakshmi Temple, which temple authorities claimed was merely repair work. On November 5, the Andhra Pradesh High Court ordered a status quo, directing that the temple remain as it stood on October 30, 2012. The court also prohibited construction touching the Charminar, while the temple committee assured it that the shrine would not be expanded.The dispute escalated into a political crisis. On November 11, 2012, Hyderabad Police detained AIMIM MLAs, including Akbaruddin Owaisi, who were protesting the alleged expansion of the temple. The next day, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi announced the withdrawal of his party's support to the Congress-led Andhra Pradesh government and the UPA at the Centre. He accused then CM N Kiran Kumar Reddy's administration of favouring Hindu groups.Later in 2013, the Andhra Pradesh High Court upheld these restrictions, but did not order the temple's removal.Since then, allegations of the temple's expansion have resurfaced, including in 2018 and 2022, though ASI officials denied any expansion in 2022. However, recent videos show it being decorated and resembling a permanent temple.In October 2018, the ASI accused the police of facilitating the temple's expansion through temporary structures and barricades adjoining Charminar, according to The New Indian Express. In October 2022, heritage activists again alleged that the temple was gradually occupying more space, but ASI officials told The Siasat Daily that there had been no expansion and that the changes were temporary.So, now, the massive Diwali crowds and visits by BJP and BRS heavyweights have brought the decades-old controversy back into focus. While devotees continue to throng the shrine, Muslim activists are questioning if the authorities are doing enough to protect the 435-year-old Charminar. The ASI's findings, the High Court's restrictions, and its enforcement have come under renewed scrutiny, even as political leaders continue to visit the temple and publicly express their reverence for the shrine.- Ends(Written by Sushim Mukul)