That’s the latest salvo fired in the culture wars by the rightwing group Vishwa Hindu Parishad—which wants these ‘temples’ to be rebuilt, and Hindus be allowed to offer prayers there. This is the second time that the Qutub Minar has become the target of controversy in recent weeks. BJP leader and National Monuments Authority chairman Tarun Vijay recently flagged Ganesh idols that were placed “disrespectfully” inside the complex. He too raised the issue of the 27 temples—calling their destruction “cultural genocide.”

Say hello to our new travel newsletter:  We hope you noticed the new travel-themed newsletter on the weekend—thanks to our partnership with Urbanaut, founded and run by the amazing Samyukta Ranganathan. Yes, there is travel content everywhere—websites, blogs, reviews… and yet it is almost impossible to find trustworthy advice except from friends or fam. Urbanaut’s guides help you rediscover India and its many treasures in this once-a-month newsletter. We love the integrity and passion that Samyukta and her team bring to everything they do. Nope, we’re not making a dime out of this. Check out the first edition here.

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