Karnataka: School tells alums to rename Gyanvapi mosque to ‘temple’ on Google map

A popular private school in Bengaluru has sent an email to all its alumni asking for them to go on to Google maps and change the name of Gyanvapi mosque to “Gyanvapi temple”, The Quint reported on Tuesday.

“You are requested to do it and ask our Hindu brothers and sisters to do it till google update this changes,” the mail reads.

Bengaluru’s New Horizon Public School (NHPS) sent this mass email to its alumni on 20 May.

The school has earlier donated to the Ram Mandir, built on the location of Babri mosque. It was mandatorily for the staff to attend a screening of The Kashmir Files, a propaganda film according to historians.

Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi adjacent to Kashi Vishwanath Temple has become a controversial topic since Hindu parties have sought permission to worship inside the mosque complex. Hindu extremist groups have been demanding to remove the mosque, actively campaigning that it was built over a temple.

The mail, titled ‘Gyanvapi temple instead of Gyanvapi mosque’, has a list of directions the alumni have been asked to follow in order to change the name of the Gyanvapi mosque.

The New Horizon Educational Institute is a private group which comprises multiple educational institutions—the NHPS school, the NH Pre University College, two NH undergraduate colleges, and one NH Engineering college—all based in Bangalore.

According to their website, They have donated Rs. 5,00,00,000/- to Shri Rama Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra. It also says the Trust has donated a sum of Rupees five lakhs to Vishwa Hindu Parishath, a Hindu extremist group in 2019.

‘The Story of Ram Mandir: A Timeline’ was also shared as a post on the school’s Instagram handle where it has detailed the history of the Ram Janmbhoomi movement culminating with the groundbreaking ceremony of the temple.