Varanasi: A Varanasi district court has granted permission for Hindu prayers to be offered in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi Mosque. The court’s decision allows the Hindu community to perform prayers, with arrangements to be made by the receiver and a priest nominated by the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust.
Vishnu Shankar Jain, the lawyer representing the Hindu side, stated that the puja (prayer ritual) is slated to commence within seven days, and individuals will have the right to participate in the ceremony. This decision follows a day after four Hindu women approached the Supreme Court, seeking excavation and a scientific survey of a sealed section of the mosque. The request for excavation comes in light of an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report, which concluded that a substantial Hindu temple existed before the mosque’s construction.
The court’s ruling has sparked reactions from both sides, with Akhlaque Ahmad, counsel for the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, expressing the intent to challenge the order in a higher court. Meanwhile, the court has scheduled February 8 as the date of the hearing on an application by the mosque committee, requesting the dismissal of the plea.
The disputed area, central to this legal battle, is believed by Hindus to contain a Shivaling, while the Muslim side contends it is part of a ritual ablution tank. The court’s decision marks a crucial juncture in the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding the Gyanvapi Mosque, and the subsequent developments are expected to draw attention and commentary from various quarters. Stay tuned for further updates on this unfolding story.
