India temple‑mosque heritage dispute

In late July 2026 the legal and activist dimensions of India’s contested religious‑heritage sites broadened. On 23 July, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a petition by Hindu groups seeking permission to worship at the sealed portion of the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi, continuing a series of lower‑court rulings that had allowed limited Hindu worship in the adjoining basement. Both Hindu and Muslim parties declined mediation, opting for full judicial resolution.

Five days later, on 27 July, Hindu activists installed a large Shiva lingam at the historic Adina Mosque in West Bengal’s Malda district, under heavy police guard. The group, led by a BJP‑affiliated patron, asserted that the mosque stands on the ruins of an ancient temple and announced intent to seek a fresh Archaeological Survey of India report and a court ruling to recognize the site as a temple. Local Muslim representatives rejected the claim, warning of communal tension.

These events show an escalation from courtroom petitions over a Varanasi site to on‑ground symbolic actions at another disputed mosque, each aiming for legal recognition of Hindu worship rights in contested Muslim heritage structures.