A viral video circulating on social media claims that a Hindu temple on Thiruparankundram Hill was converted into a Dargah because its pillars resemble those of a temple, a claim that the Tamil Nadu government’s Fact Checker has debunked as false.
“This is a hate-filled rumour,” said the fact check unit of Taminadu Government.
Fact-checking shows that the structure in the video is the Sikandhar Dargah, an original Islamic shrine built in the Dravidian architectural style, not a converted temple.
According to the book Islamic Architecture in Tamil Nadu, published by the Government of Tamil Nadu’s Director of Museum, Islamic structures in the state have historically been built using local Dravidian design elements such as temple-like pillars, beams, and cornices.
These similarities reflect shared regional craftsmanship, not the conversion of a Hindu temple into a Dargah. Numerous Islamic religious buildings across Tamil Nadu display the same architectural features.
“Because of the continuous civil wars among the members of the ruling family the Sultans who ruled Madurai could not bring much either in Islamic religion or art. However, according to Ibn Batuta, the newcomers, the Sultans, from the north adopted the local customs of the region. He also says that there was no destruction of temples and breakage of idols. (Ibn Batuta Vol.IV P. 190),” TN Fact checker wrote on X.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.
