As the debate continues in the courts regarding the Gyanvapi Masjid-Shringar Gauri complex, some new and old facts have come to the fore. The 19th-century English writer James Prinsep decoded the present-day Gyanvapi Mosque, traveling the length and breadth of the city of Varanasi in 1831 during his tenure as a painter and traveller.
Prinsep in his book ‘Banaras Illustrated, A Series of Drawings’ on the architecture of the old Vishweshwara Temple, the present Gyanvapi Mosque and how the Mughals under Aurangzeb converted the original structure into a gigantic mosque to establish their religious hegemony discussed.
The technique he used for this was lithography.
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What is Lithography?
James Prinsep used lithography techniques to present information with evidence. Since paintings and artifacts were not used at that time, he used lithography to engrave every scene on paper.
To understand lithography, India Today TV spoke to renowned lithography expert Bobby Kohli. Kohli explains that lithography is a printing technique which is widely used across the world. Most of the books, newspapers and magazines are made using lithography. It is fast, efficient, cheap and relatively easy.
The first step in lithography is to create a plate with the image to be printed. If the image is in black and white, only one plate is needed, as the plate can be inked only with black ink. Color images are produced using a four-color separation process, with four separate plates for cyan, magenta, yellow and ki (black) inks. When plates are printed, the colors mix together to form a single color image.
Kohli points out that although there are many types of lithography, Prinsep uses metal lithography in his book. He explains that metal plates are used for metal lithography. An encryption is made on metal, the rest of the process being the same as in normal lithography.
Vishweshwar’s old temple
Talking about the Gyanvapi Mosque in his book, James Prinsep said that the view was taken from the south-west corner, which at that time was called the Jumma Masjid or the main mosque of the city.
He cited the example that the dome and minaret atop the “Hindu walls” were the work of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, and that the tombs date to the same.
Prinsep wrote that the Muslims (the Mughals), in excitement of the victory of their religion, discovered a method to convert the original structure into a huge mosque, without destroying half of its walls – so that not only the ground plan, but the entire architectural upgrade, can still be traced. A sample of the order is lithographed to show the proportions of the various moldings.
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In his work, Prinsep wrote of his findings: “Part of one of the Hindu domes also remains: it is not built on the principle of the arch, but by the gradual protrusion of stone courses and later by cutting angles.” , so that the square is transformed into a polygot, and then gradually into a circle; the undersides of the courses are neatly worked into rosettes and panels, and do not have an elegant appearance .
In his book, Prinsep clearly states that due to the power struggle between the Mughals and the rulers of Kashi under Aurangzeb, Hindu temples were ordered to be destroyed. “Aurangzeb’s fanaticism did not allow many remnants of this more ancient style to remain. In 1660, for some minor resistance to the imposition of the capitation tax, he took the opportunity to demolish the major shivals, and built mosques or mosques on the same material and on the same foundation, exposing parts of the ancient walls. . As evidence of an insult to Hinduism.”
Historian and researcher Dinesh Kapoor says, “The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb destroyed the temple of Vishweshwar in 1669 on which the mosque was built and remains as it is today. He further says that the two Shiva mandapas and the central Mahadev shrine have been destroyed. There are three domes above which were earlier present in the centre.
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Vishweshwar Temple Scheme
James Prinsep, in his book, has explained the plan of the Vishweshwara temple through a map. It can be seen in the plan that Shivling is installed in the sanctum. The temple had entrance from all sides. The north-south linear axis had two small porches (Shiva Mandap) for the visitors. The longitudinal east-west axis had entrances surrounded by ‘dvarapalas’ (gatekeepers) in the center. At the corners, four small cenotaphs were placed for the deities Tarakeswara, Manakeshwar, Bhairon – the forms of Shiva – for his son Ganesha. Thus, the plan was based on a 3×3 grid with the presiding deity in the centre.
Lithography expert Bobby Kohli told India Today TV that all the illustrations in Prinsep’s book are made by lithography. “These litho arts are absolutely correct. It seems to have been made in the 19th century. The nature of the art suggests that they were made in the 19th century. The image depicting the old temple of Vishweshwara is made by metal lithography. The disturbed structure has subtle details of old stone,” he said.
Notably, there are two lines in the plan that demarcate the current occupation of the temple by the mosque. If one looks at the present mosque built by demolishing a part of the temple in relation to this plan, it can be seen that the three domes are built on top of the two Shiva mandapas and the central Mahadeva temple, which was there.
“The map is made using metal lithography, where a metal plate was used with a smooth litho crayon or a sleek black ink,” Kohli said.
Mystery of Nandi and Shivling and evidence of Hindu symbol
Historian Dinesh Kapoor says that James Prinsep wrote that there are many such evidences on the wall of the building which are related to Hindu culture.
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The Kashi Vishwanath temple was rebuilt in 1776 by Ahilyabai Holkar, the Maratha queen of Malwa. Historian Dinesh Kapoor said that Nandi’s picture is from the same temple.
Prinsep wrote in his book, “The darkly shaded portion shows the contours and foundations of the principal dewul: the faint, outer duli K. Upon completion, a picturesque cluster of 9 spiers will form around a central pyramid. Ground plan According to the height decreasing from the center to the corners in the ratio of sixteen, eight and six.
Dinesh Kapoor said, “The dotted line in the semi-upper part of the map shows the present occupation of the temple by the mosque.”
Studying the elevation of Hindu temples, Prinsep wrote, “… Architecture, like every other branch of art among Hindus, is a hereditary occupation. Masons employed in the construction of temples and buildings of a super detail were generally Their position consists of many plans and elevations. These plans, along with various designs for mouldings, scrolls, serve as the supply material for all modern buildings of pure or Hindu taste, but many builders undertake to inscribe the Muslim style on the letter. And your skill-perfect mix makes a good impression, frequent examples of this are found in the following sketches, the present temple is essentially Hindu.”
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After analyzing the image, Dinesh Kapoor said, “The height of a Hindu temple drawn here largely reflects the erstwhile Vishweshwara temple.” He highlighted the fact that, “Princep in his litho art also depicts a Nandi on the far right side of the temple, which resembles the present Nandi. History says that the extreme right side of the temple was destroyed by the Muslims.” And where Nandi is worshiped, the extreme right was abandoned.”
Madhore Masjid
Madhorai Masjid was one of the other pagodas and temples destroyed by Aurangzeb. Prinsep explains, “The Madhorai Masjid (mosque) was built by Aurangzeb on the site and with the materials of Bind Madho or the temple of Vishnu”.
The Bind Madho or Temple of Vishnu, as described by Tavernier, was situated on the ground from Panchganga to Ram Ghat, with temples of Rama and Mungula Ghori within its walls and several houses of the priests.
Prinsep wrote that the mosque and minarets were built around the Madhorai Mosque as a method of maintaining the most outrageous insult to their habits and sentiments, by raising their minarets to such a height that their houses, upper The privacy of the apartments and thatched terraces were overlooked. Of which are always hired by the women of the family. There is little to admire in the architectural beauty of the mosque, but the minarets are deservedly appreciated for their simplicity and boldness of execution.
Prinsep also cited two travelers and painters from the Tavernier and Heber eras who visited Varanasi at different times and compared their findings. “Among others of low note, the descriptions of Tavernier and Heber will long be read with interest; – the former, as a living photograph of Benares in 1608, before the prostrations of his temples by Aurangzebe, and while now Also some remained the remains of the splendor of his idolatry; later, introducing the reader, in the agreeable and instructive manner of the affable bishop, to Benares, as had appeared to him on his visit in 1825, ”said Prinsep. .
Depicting the common houses of Varanasi, Prinsep mentioned the use of tree carvings in the houses of the time as a reminder of the forest. He wrote, “They still point to the trees in the walls of houses as giants of the original forest. Many of the title deeds of houses in the same neighborhood first refer to “clearance of the land”.