Having visited and read about Mathura in some detail earlier, Manoshi Sinha’s Reclaiming Mathura did not draw my interest initially. Soon after I received my copy, I assumed it would be just another monotonous description of the history of the sacred city of Mathura and its occupation by invaders in different time periods in history. I therefore put it aside to read some other day, having flipped through its pages only once the day I first got hold of it. Though the battle for the Ram Mandir culminated in victory for Hindus, one of the most popular slogans of the Ram Janambhoomi Movement ends with Kashi Mathura baaki hai – a subtle reminder that though the battle has been won, our struggle is not yet over.

It has been rightly said that there comes an opportune moment for everything. My hands picked up this same book of Manoshi Sinha on Mathura while I was on my way from Nalbari to Bokakhat to attend one of the historic Durga Pujas of Assam held at the sacred Kako-Goshani Durga Thaan. As I opened the book and began reading while listening to a melody sung by the musical doyenne Tarali Sarma in praise of my matrubhoomi Asomi Aai (Assam), very soon I realised that this was no ordinary book on Mathura. My mind flew back to my university days when I had once engaged in a heated debate with a senior Professor who was trying to argue against the act of destruction of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya in December 1992.

Manoshi Sinha’s book is a befitting reply to propagandists of that breed. Crisp, factual, and beautifully elaborated it is. It busts some artificially manufactured academic myths surrounding the discourse of the Bharatiya civilisation in the backdrop of the Islamic invasions, particularly in the context of Sri Krishna’s birthplace Mathura which is now occupied by Muslims. They claim its ownership based on the Shahi Idgah Mosque, built after destroying a temple on the orders of the Muslim fanatic Aurangzeb. The book takes the reader along on a journey as well, a journey that seeks to trace the origins of a problem that has now metastasised.

I finished reading the book within two days, so riveting was the narrative that it kept me hooked through late into the night. It analyses the Islamic mindset of the destruction of Hindu sacred spaces in exactly the same manner our ancestors faced and fought against it amidst all odds, with the sole objective of protecting their Dharma from the barbaric mlechhas. There are many portions of this book where the author’s narration of the story of Mathura is too gripping, especially when we try to analyse her multi-layered arguments in the light of present-day events beginning from the formation of the Sri Krishna Janambhoomi Trust and the ongoing legal battle for the reclamation of Krishna Janambhoomi.

The author’s insights are deeply historical and yet, have not failed to lose their realistic appeal. The book is divided into 16 chapters and each chapter dwells upon an interesting topic, peppered with numerous descriptions related to literature, numismatics and archaeology that bring to light the cultural and spiritual importance of Mathura for Hindus. In the introductory chapter itself, the author subtly establishes the fact that Sri Ram and Sri Krishna were not different; for, Shatrughn, Ram’s brother, re-established Mathura during the Treta Yug and also erected the shrine of Kapilavaraha. Yet, unlike Ayodhya, where Sri Ram has reclaimed His abode, the dispute at Mathura remains unresolved. As a result, Sri Krishna is yet to reclaim His birthplace.

The author lays bare the one-sided narrative of history writing in post-independent India that has glorified invaders while deliberately overlooking Bharat’s rich past and cultural heritage. Her knack for data-driven research, supplemented with well-documented historical facts and figures, gives a clear picture of the larger civilisational conflict in Mathura that stands as a testimony of the perseverance of Hindus to reclaim Krishna Janmabhoomi. In this regard, the book touches upon several aspects related to the Hindu struggle for the restoration of Mathura’s glory based on ancient and medieval literary sources. By doing so, she systematically counters the propaganda of glorification of invaders by Left-wing historians.

The author then raises several pertinent questions with respect to the synchronised desecration of Mathura over a period of time to erase its Hindu identity, and what this means for Bharat and the very existence of the Hindu civilisation. She throws light on the social and cultural life of ancient and medieval Mathura and the strategic significance of the Yamuna River in this regard. She provides a nuanced and balanced understanding of the need for the restoration of all our temples. This is the urgent need of the hour – to not only restore our lost heritage but also reinstate the lost pride of Hindus in their cultural and civilisational legacy.

The chapter on Formation of Sri Krishna Janambhoomi Trust and Filing of Suit elaborately explains the peculiarity of Mathura’s land dispute and its restoration, as well as the need for initiating an honest academic discussion around the same. I found it extremely insightful when the author narrates fact-by-fact the in-depth investigation conducted relentlessly by lawyers- Hari Shankar Jain and Vishnu Shankar Jain representing the Hindu side of the case. The father-son duo’s struggle for the recovery of the original documents and other relevant materials pertaining to the case is enough to make any proud Hindu teary-eyed.

Without giving way to political correctness, Manoshi Sinha’s stance on the subject of Hindu temple restoration is well-articulated. Several writers and academics on the subject have intentionally neglected this aspect because of their ideological orientations. However, the author is dispassionate in her tone and tenor while presenting her views on the subject. She quotes passages from the Manusmriti, Ramayana, Mahabharata and our Puranas to establish the antiquity and sacredness of Mathura from the Treta Yuga when it was known by the name of Madhupura. The fact that Mathura has had a continuous unbroken tradition of worshipping numerous deities of the Hindu pantheon has been substantiated in detail.

Her views on the Mathura Krishna Janambhoomi case highlight in detail the significance of the Kesavadev Temple and the issues concerning the ownership and possession of the sacred land. It is only the Sri Krishna Janambhoomi Trust that is the rightful owner of this land. The book is a humble attempt to enable Hindus to understand Mathura from a civilizational perspective. The author has made a concerted effort to review and incorporate a comprehensive array of both primary and secondary literature on the subject matter. She strongly believes that the reclamation of Krishna Janambhoomi is essential for the protection of the Hindu civilisation and Bharat itself.

Therefore, according to her, the time has now come for Hindus to reclaim this sacred place from the claws of the secular Indian Government and the invaders. However, a separate section in the book under review could have been included on the teachings of Sri Krishna to Arjuna during the Kurukshetra War and Krishna constantly motivating Arjuna to lead the battle from the forefront so as to ensure the victory of Dharma over Adharma. It was Krishna who inspired Arjuna to seek the blessings of Maa Durga before the battle. Hindus need to be reminded of these lessons from their history, and perhaps this invocation of Durga is what is most required for the Hindu society to fight against the demons.

Published by Garuda Prakashan and an impressive Foreword from Padma Shri Subhash Kak, Reclaiming Mathura would make a great gift to young Hindus who are interested in learning more about their history and civilisation, especially in the context of the historic reclamation of the Ram Janambhoomi at Ayodhya. Launched for the first time by three Indian National Army veterans- Lt. Rangaswamy Madhavan Pillai, Sri L Jaganathan and Sri Lourdu Samy in New Delhi on September 22, 2024, the book is a milestone in itself. A second edition probably can explore the multi-faceted personality of Krishna – the Supreme Warrior and the destroyer of Adharma. His emphasis on using all means possible including war to establish the rule of Dharma is the most important civilisational lesson for Hindus to imbibe.

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