Mysuru: Padma Shri awardee and noted archaeologist KK Muhammed, who was part of the Archaeological Survey of India’s Ayodhya excavation team, on Sunday recalled that he faced the threat of suspension and was eventually transferred from erstwhile Madras to Goa after publicly telling the truth about the findings of the Ayodhya excavation.He was speaking after the release of a felicitation volume honouring his contributions to archaeology and heritage conservation. The volume was edited by Dr Githa U Badikillaya and Dr Om Pandey.Recalling the excavation, Muhammed said the disputed structure stood on 12 temple pillars bearing sculptures of Hindu deities, Poorna Kalasha motifs and temple bell carvings.The Ram temple issue gained national attention during the Rath Yatra led by LK Advani, when some historians from Aligarh Muslim University and Jawaharlal Nehru University claimed the excavation yielded no evidence of an earlier temple, he said.
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“None of them were archaeologists, and none had visited the excavation site. Their statement was false,” he said.Muhammed said that as the only Muslim archaeologist on the excavation team, he issued a press statement on Dec 15, 1990, refuting those claims. “We found temple pillars, pillar bases and sculptures associated with Hinduism. I stated these were historical facts,” he said.He also recalled his conversation with the then secretary of culture and convinced him why he made such a statement.“As a govt servant, issuing such a statement violated service rules. I was threatened with suspension, but after several scholars intervened, the govt decided to transfer me instead,” he said.Muhammed said senior officials acknowledged he had spoken as an archaeologist but were under pressure to initiate disciplinary action.Referring to the Gyanvapi mosque, Muhammed said archaeological evidence indicated that temples existed at those sites before later structures were built.At the same time, he cautioned against extending such demands to every historical monument. “We should not go behind every monument searching for a Shiva linga or other remains. That will create serious problems for the country,” he said.Mysuru royal family matriarch Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, dept of archaeology, museums and heritage commissioner Devaraju A, Dr Githa U Badikillaya and others were present.
