1751 The third are called Arsha, or shrines of the great Rishis, men who by virtue of austerities and good works are in near proximity to the deity. [180] Their shrines are counted by thousands. Amongst them are Nimkhar (Nimishara), Pukhra (Pushkara), Khushab, and Badiri. The fourth are called Manusha, or appertaining to men who by their power of good works are superior to mankind in general, though they do not obtain the rank of the third degree. Their shrines also are numerous. Among them is Kurkushetra, which for forty kos around is considered holy, and numerous pilgrims resort thither during eclipses of the sun and moon. Ceremonies are laid down for each pilgrimage and their various meritorious results are declared. O THOU! That seekest after divine knowledge, learn wisdom of these Hindu legends! Each particle among created atoms is a sublime temple of worship. May the Almighty deliver mankind from the wanderings of a vain imagination troubles over many things.” (Page 332-336) “...taken from the letter which is therewith connected and a name of more than four letters is considered blameworthy. In the fourth month they bring it into the sun before which time it is never carried out of the house. In the fifth month they bore the lobs of the right ear. In the sixth month, if the child be a boy, they place various kinds of food around him, and feed him with that for which he shows a preference. If it be a girl, this is not done till the sixth or seventh month. When it is a year old, or in the third year, they shave his head, but by some this is delayed till the fifth year, by others till the seventh, and by others again 1752 till the eighth year, when a festival is held. In the fifth year they send him to school and meet together in rejoicing. They observe the birthday and annually celebrate it with a feast, and at the close of each year make a knot on a thread of silk. He is invested with the sacred string at the appointed time. At each of these occasions they perform certain works and go through some extraordinary ceremonies.” (Page 349) 1623. On page 349, the important religious festivals of Hindus are also discussed which include Rama-Navami on page 350. Sri Mishra says, while acknowledging Ayodhya at length on various aspects of the matter, Abul Fazal having not noticed any building said to have been constructed by or under the command of Babar in 1528 AD proves that the same was not actually built in that manner and did not exist till then also. 1624. Sri Mishra, when asked that the building in dispute ex facie appears to be a Mosque, then how it came into existence if not constructed in 1528, submitted that it was actually attacked and damaged at the time of Aurangzeb and attempt was made to give it shape of a Mosque and inscriptions on the said building were fixed by someone much thereafter. He placed before us “Indian Texts Series-Storia Do Mogor or Mogul India 1653- 1708” by Niccolao Manucci translated in English by Milliam Irvine Vol. III pages 244/245 where it deals with the Hindu holy places and reference to destruction of chief temple of Ayodhya by Aurangzeb and reads as under : “In this realm of India, although King Aurangzeb destroyed numerous temples, there does not thereby fail to be many left at different places, both in his empire and in the territories subject to the tributary princes. All of them 1753 are thronged with worshippers; even those that are destroyed are still venerated by the Hindus and visited for the offering of alms. The Hindus assert that in the world there are seven principal places where it is possible to obtain what one has imagined and desired-that is to say, in cases where a person wishes to become emperor or king, wealthy, powerful, or to attain other positions of the same order. Now they ordinarily hold that on dying a person's soul is transferred according to the deeds he has done; if he has done good, his soul will pass into some one of consideration or of wealth, and should the deceased have done evil, his soul will be sent into some animal- an elephant, camel, buffalo, cow, tiger, wolf, a bird, a snake, a fish, et cetera. Now, some great sinner, deserving of hell, may be anxious for delivery therefrom, and want to become an emperor or great noble, or whatever he fancies; it can be done by sacrificing his life by drowning himself in a river or in the tanks found near temples at the foot of the gates. The principal temples referred to above are these- that is to say: 1. The first, Maya, to be found among the mountains of the north. 2. Matura (Mathura), which is near the city of Agrah. 3. Caxis (Kashi), which is on the Ganges, in the city of Benaras. 4. Canchis (Kanji), in the Karnatik 5. Evantica, in the mountains of Tartary. 6. Puris (Puri), on the borders of Cochin China. 7. Darahotis (? Gangotri), at the source of the 1754 Ganges, as they suppose it to be [+5]. Bands of interested persons make these lengthy pilgrimages, enduring a thousand hardships on the way, only at the end to drown by their own choice, without considering where they are about to take up their abode. The chief temples destroyed by King Aurangzeb within his kingdom were the following: 1. Maisa (? Mayapur), 2. Matura (Mathura), 3. Caxis (Kashi)' 4. Hajudia (Ajudhya), and an infinite number of others; but, not to tire the reader, I do not append their names.” (Page 244-245) 1625. Niccolo Manucci was a traveller, who came to India during the reign of Aurangzeb and had written his account of travel in the aforesaid book. 1626. Sri Mishra pointed out that the reign of Emperor Aurangzeb was a total Islamic reign and all actions to cause damage to Hindu religion and religious places were taken by him. He not only revived Jizya which was a tax payable by non- Islamic people but also caused damage to Hindu religious places at a large scale. Sri Mishra refers to “India in the 17th Century (Social, Economic and Politician) Memoirs of Francois Martin (1670-1694)” Volume II, Part I (1681/1688) translated by Lotika Varadarajan first published 1984 by Manohar Publications, New Delhi, page 880 where it discusses about the rate of 'Jizya' increased by the Emperor in October 1683 AD and says : “Towards the beginning of October, the principal bania merchants assembled to discuss the orders to 1755 increase the rate of jizya which had been sent by the Emperor to the Governor. I have already spoken about this tax which is similar to the carage paid by Christians in Turkey. During the remaining part of the month, several more meetings took place but these met with small success. If the entire amount due from this tax had been properly collected and paid into the imperial exchequer, the amount obtained by the Emperor under this head alone would have been far larger than the entire revenue accruing to him from the many kingdoms which made up his vast empire.” (Page 880) 1627. About the destruction of religious places, Sri Mishra referred to Page 914 which says : “When it had come to the knowledge of the Emperor that many rich Gujarati banias had built temples within their homes to perform their devotions, in his religious fervour, he ordered that the Governors of the province should carry out an inspection. All the temples in the cities and villages had been destroyed. Now these inner sanctums were also to be laid low and the least sign of the practice of Hindu religion was to be wiped out. The members of this community, particularly at Hyderabad and Cambay where they were to be found in large numbers, were greatly alarmed at these instructions. It was said that the banias managed to circumvent the Mughal orders by giving presents to the Governors who thereupon took their inspection tours very lightly.” (Page 914) 1628. Volume II, Part II or “India in the 17th Century (Social, Economic and Politician) Memoirs of Francois Martin (1670-1694)” first published in 1985 page 1249 was 1756 relied by Sri Mishra which reads as under : “Following the Emperor's orders with regard to the destruction of temples, the Moors brought one down in the Carnatic. This incited the Hindus to revolt in an attempt to prevent this action. The two communities clashed openly and both sides sustained loss of life. As a result, the Moors were forced to postpone their demolition activities to a later date.” 1629. He also referred to footnote 31 on page 1249 which says : “31. According to French archival sources, B.N., N.A., 6213 (16), the Emperor had ordered all Hindu temples to be destroyed including that of Jagannath at Puri. This had brought about a Hindu rebellion as a result of which the edict was not enforced.” 1630. He also referred to “Mughal Documents (A.D. 1628- 59) Volume II by S.A.I. Tirmizi (first published 1995 by Manohar Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi). On page 142 at sl. no. 426 there is a reference of a Farman of Aurangzeb of 15th March 1659 AD, which reads as under : “426. Manshur of Aurangzeb addressed to Abul Hasan states that it has been brought to the notice of the royal court that the Brahmins of Banaras are being removed from their ancient offices and that Hindus of Banaras and its neighbourhood are harassed.