Aurangzeb's 'Gyan Vapi Masjid', Ruins of Kashi Vishwanath Mandir-- Kanchan Gupta

Aurangzeb's 'Gyan Vapi Masjid'
Mughal emperor Aurangzeb destroyed Kashi Vishwanath Mandir (he also sacked Somnath Mandir apart from innumerable Hindu shrines) and built his 'grand mosque' on the site. Such was Aurangzeb's arrogance, such his contempt for Hindus, he retained portions of the sacred temple's wall to humiliate the kafirs and constantly remind them that he was 'Alamgir', they his wretched subjects.

In 'Rambles into Sacred Realms: Journeys in Pen & Paint', by Krish V. Krishnan, the gifted artist/writer records what he saw and felt upon seeing 'Gyan Vapi Masjid' in Banaras

"Huge minarets and white domes in the front disguised the remains of an ancient temple behind.
A ruthless Muslim emperor had razed an ancient temple to the ground and intentionally left these walls intact as a reminder of his intolerant might over other beliefs. In a fit of rage, he raided the temple’s sanctum and hurled the sivalinga (stone shaft symbolising Shiva) into the Gyan Vapi, the Well of Knowledge."