In this episode of "News that Matters," we delve into the ongoing debates around religious sites in India, where excavations are being conducted to unearth temples that may have been buried under mosques. The focus is on the issue of whether historical temples that were allegedly demolished to create mosques should be rebuilt today. The discussion also explores the complexities of India's past, where both Hindu and Muslim rulers have destroyed and built temples and mosques over centuries, often driven by the need to assert their dominance rather than purely religious motives. Historian Irfan Habib explains that rulers, including Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, demolished temples to erase symbols of the defeated kingdoms, not necessarily out of religious hatred. Similar acts of destruction were carried out by Hindu rulers as well. The video also touches upon the legal aspects, particularly the Places of Worship Act of 1991, which mandates that the status of religious places as they were on August 15, 1947, must remain unchanged. The video provides insights into India's deep religious and cultural history, exploring how the earliest temples were inspired by Buddhist stupas and how many Hindu temples were originally Buddhist sites, like the Jagannath Temple in Puri. It also references modern archaeological studies, such as the one on the Somnath Temple, which revealed traces of Buddhist structures beneath it. This episode challenges the simplistic narratives often presented in the media and invites viewers to reflect on the complex and layered history of religious sites in India. Watch as we navigate the sensitive issue of religious coexistence, heritage, and the consequences of revisiting history.