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New Delhi: Former Indian cricketer and Trinamool Congress MP from the Baharampur Lok Sabha constituency of West Bengal, Yusuf Khan Pathan, recently visited Malda's historic Adina Mosque.
Posting a picture of himself standing in front of the mosque, Pathan wrote on X, "The Adina Mosque in Malda, West Bengal, is a historic mosque built in the 14th century by Sultan Sikandar Shah, the second ruler of the Ilyas Shahi dynasty. Constructed in 1373-1375 CE, it was the largest mosque in the Indian subcontinent during its time, showcasing the region's architectural grandeur."
However, the BJP has decided to disagree with Yusuf Pathan. The West Bengal unit of the saffron party took to X, and replied to the TMC MP's post, "Correction: Adinath Temple."
Another X user named 'PlanH' commented, "Dear Yusuf Pathan, you are standing in the campus of one of the largest Hindu Temples, Adinath Temple, which was desecrated and occupied by Islamic invaders. Attached are some images for your reference. It is time to undo the injustice and barbarity, and reestablish the temple's glory."
Grok, the free AI assistant that is available on X, was also asked by some users about the veracity of the claim. One user asked the AI, "Is the above information correct?", to which Grok replied, "Yes, the information about the Adina Mosque is accurate based on historical records, including Wikipedia and other sources. It was built by Sultan Sikandar Shah in 1373-1375 CE and was the largest in the subcontinent at the time."
When another user asked, "are the claims that it was temple before they turned it to a mosque true?", Grok said, "No, historical consensus holds that the Adina Mosque was newly constructed as a royal mosque in 1373-1375 CE by Sultan Sikandar Shah, using rubble masonry and incorporating recycled stones plus terracotta motifs from dismantled pre-Islamic Hindu-Buddhist structures. No primary sources or archaeological evidence confirm direct conversion from an intact temple site. Claims of it being a repurposed "Adinath Temple" largely arise from modern activist narratives, not scholarly records."
One of the most famous mosques in West Bengal, the Adina Mosque in Malda district, was the largest structure of its kind in the Indian subcontinent when it was constructed. Sikandar Shah built it during the Bengal Sultanate as a royal mosque, and his grave lies inside the mosque premises. It is situated in Pandua, which was once the royal capital of Bengal.
