Amedahad being inhabited also by a great number of heathens, there are Pagods, or Idol-Temples it it. That which was called the Pagod of Santidas was… - Shantidas Jhaveri

Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, who visited Ahmadabad numerous times, wrote a short account of the incident, There was a Pagoda in this place, which the Muhammadans took possession of in order to turn it into a mosque. Before entering it you traverse three great courts paved with marble, and surrounded by galleries, and you are not allowed to place foot in the third without removing your shoes. The exterior of the mosque is ornamented with mosaic, the greater part of which consists of agates of different colours, Obtained from the mountains of Cambay, only two days’ journey from thence .

The Mirat-i-Ahmadi commented that the open worship of the Jain murtis, “... mark(ed) the weakness of Islam and the decline of religious zeal.” Shantidas’s descendants obtained permission to bring those images on carts into the city, and installed them in an underground temple. The temple had long existed, and Jains used to worship there “secretly for fear of the Musalmans”.

Being a man of considerable repute, Shantidas was unwilling to accept the wrongdoing to his religion, and personally presented the case to Shah Jahan.’ Though the lmperor had himself ordered that all newly built temples in Nanaras be pulled down,’ Shantidas’s position compelled him lo intercede. He consulted Mulla Abdul Hakim, who stated that since the structure was the property of another person, it vould not be regarded a mosque according to the Shariat (Virmizi 1995: 11). The Mirat-i-Ahmadi recorded that the !:mperor recalled Aurangzeb, and in his place appointed Dara the Governor of Gujarat. Shah Jahan issued a farman (dated ‘rd July 1648) to Ghairat Khan and other officials of the suba, Be it known to the governors, subadars and mutsaddis [officials], present and future, of the province of Gujarat, especially the one who has been worthy of various favours [here follow various honorific prefixes], viz. Ghairat Khan, who has been reliant on and gladdened by royal favours, that formerly, in respect of the temple of the leading person of the time (zubdat-al-akran), Satidas Jawahari, an exalted and blessed order had been issued to Umdat-ul-Mulk [pillar of the state] Shayista Khan to this effect: Shahzada [prince] Sultan Aurangzeb Bahadur had constructed in that place some mihrabs [prayer arches] and had given it the name of a mosque; and after that Mulla Abdal Hakim had represented to His Majesty that this building, by reason of its being the property of another person, could not be considered a mosque according to the inviolable Islamic law; a world-obeyed order, therefore obtained the honour of being issued that this building is the property of Satidas, and that because of the mihrab which the famous Prince had made in that place the above mentioned person should not be harassed and that the arch should be removed and the aforesaid building should be handed over to him. Now at this time, the world-obeyed and illustrious order has been issued that the mihrab which the victorious and illustrious Prince has consecrated may be retained and a wall be built near the same as a screen between the temple and the mihrab. Hence it is ordained that, since his exalted Majesty has, as an act of favour, granted the aforesaid temple to Santidas, he should be in possession of it as before and he may worship there according to his creed in any way he likes, and no one should obstruct or trouble him; also that some of the Faqirs (beggars) who have made their abode in that place should be turned out, and Santidas should be relieved form the troubles and quarrels on this account.
And since it has been represented to His Majesty that some of the Bohras [a community of merchants who had been converted to Islam] have removed and carried away the materials of that temple, in the event of this being so, those materials should be got back from them and should be restored to the person referred to above [Santidas], and if the aforesaid materials have been used up, their price should be paid to Santidas.
In this matter this order should be considered extremely urgent and there should be no deviation from or disobedience to it. Written on the twenty-first of the month of Jumad-as-Sani in the year 1058 H. [3rd July 1648]