Mathura, June 17, 2025 — The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has officially confirmed that the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb demolished the historic Keshavdev temple in Mathura in 1670 to build the Shahi Eidgah Mosque—a revelation poised to influence ongoing legal battles over the site.
In response to an RTI filed by Ajay Pratap Singh of Mainpuri, ASI’s Agra Circle revealed details from a 1920 United Provinces Gazette. According to the document, “portions of Katra mound … on which formerly stood a temple of Keshavdev which was dismantled and the site utilised for the mosque of Aurangzeb” (hindustantimes.com). Though not naming the Krishna Janmabhoomi explicitly, the report ties the medieval temple to today’s disputed site.
The Keshavdev temple was reportedly a grand structure dating back to at least the 17th century, originally erected under Raja Veer Singh Deo Bundela in 1618 during Mughal emperor Jahangir’s reign. Sources like the 1889 railway contractor notes and historical maps describe it as a white, towering marvel “touching the clouds” (hindustantimes.com, thehindu.com). Italian traveler Niccolò Manucci and other 17th-century witnesses recalled that Aurangzeb refrained from attacking Mathura’s temple until after the death of Jaswant Singh—before ordering its demolition and constructing the Shahi Eidgah in its place (theprint.in).
Legal advocate Mahendra Pratap Singh, president of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Mukti Nyas, plans to present ASI’s RTI evidence to the Allahabad High Court and the Supreme Court. He insists that Aurangzeb’s 1670 decree to destroy the temple and build the mosque directly over its ruins strengthens the petitioners’ case (hindustantimes.com).
Currently, the Shahi Eidgah mosque stands adjacent to the modern Krishna Janmasthan Temple Complex, reconstructed from 1953 to 1982 on reclaimed land (en.wikipedia.org). The legal dispute revolves around whether the mosque occupies the original temple footprint, with 18 ongoing suits seeking its removal from the credited 13.37 acres associated with Krishna’s birth site (english.mathrubhumi.com).
Proponents argue that documenting Aurangzeb’s demolition of the temple means the mosque should not qualify as a “protected” place of worship under the Places of Worship Act of 1991. The Supreme Court has deferred hearing a review of the Allahabad High Court’s court-monitored survey of the mosque until its next session (english.mathrubhumi.com).
Opponents counter that colonial-era records and revenue documents show the mosque built on separate land, without subsuming the sanctum beneath it . Both sides continue to leverage archaeological, historical, and legal evidence as the dispute heads for its next crucial court timeline.
The confirmation by ASI has added significant momentum to heritage claims in Mathura—just as another landmark temple-mosque case at Gyanvapi, Varanasi, moves toward its own decisive moment.
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