Varanasi court seeks response from UP government on plea by 5 women to perform pooja of deities inside Gyanvapi Mosque

A local court in Varanasi has sought responses from the Uttar Pradesh government, Mosque committee and Board of Trustee of Kashi Vishwanath Temple on a plea filed by five women seeking permission to perform darshan and pooja of the deities inside the Gyanvapi Mosque at Varanasi (Smt. Rakhi v. State of UP and others).While admitting the plea, the Court called for a report and directed that notices be issued to District Magistrate,Varanasi and Police Commissioner within three days..The plea moved by five women, Rakhi, Laxmi, Sita, Manju and Rekha sought declaration from the court that they are entitled to have darshan, perform rituals and pooja of Maa Srinigar Gauri, Lord Ganesh, Lord Hanuman and other visible and invisible deities within the Gyanvapi Mosque..In the plea, it was contended that there are images of deities Maa Ganga, Lord Hanuman, Shri Gauri Shankar, Lord Ganesh, Shri Mahakaleshwar, Shri Maheshwar, Shri Goddess Sringar Gauri, and other deities visible and invisible within old complex of the mosque..The following reliefs have been sought by the plaintiffs:.To declare that the plaintiffs are entitled to have darshan, pooja and perform all the rituals of Maa Srinigar Gauri, Lord Ganesh, Lord Hanuman and other visible and invisible deities within the old complex of the mosque; To restrain defendants from imposing any restriction, creating any obstacle, hindrance or interference in performance of such daily darshan, pooja, aarti, bhog and observance of rituals by devotees; To restrain defendants from demolishing, damaging, destroying or causing any damage to the images of deities Goddess Maa Sringar Gauri at Asthan of Lord Adi Visheshwar along with Lord Ganesh, Lord Ganesh, Lord Hanuman, Nandiji and other visible and invisible deities within the old complex. To direct the government of Uttar Pradesh and district administration to make every security arrangement and facilitate daily darshan, pooja, aarti, bhog by devotees of Maa Sringar Gauri along with Lord Ganesh, Lord Hanuman, Nandji and other images and deities within the precincts of temple complex known as ‘Ancient temple’ existing at the old complex..It the plea, it has been urged that the fundamental right of religion guaranteed to citizens by Article 25 of the Constitution of India is being infringed as the Government of Uttar Pradesh and the officers working under it have no right or power to put any restriction on the exercise of religious right by Hindus and cannot restrict the pooja and darshan to one day in a year. "The action of the Government imposing restriction reducing the right to darshan and Pooja only one day in a year is arbitrary, illegal without jurisdiction, null and void," the plea said. .The plea also contended that the Kashi Vishwanath Temple was demolished by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb..Hindu deity Shri Krishna moves Mathura court to reclaim lost site at Mathura, says Aurangzeb demolished Katra Keshav Dev in 1669-70."Aurangzeb, one of the cruelest Islamic Ruler, issued a Farman (Government order) for demolishing Shri Kashi Vishwanath temple which was lastly constructed by Narayan Bhat in 1585 AD. The Farman issued by Aurangzeb has been quoted by historians. In this regard the book on history written by H.M.Eliot and John Dowson, The History of India as told by its own historians has reproduced the Farman," the plea stated. .The matter will be heard again on September 10..All you need to know about the Gyanvapi Mosque - Kashi Vishwanath Temple land dispute.The plea has come at a time when Gyanvapi mosque has become the stage of a potentially controversial court case.The crux of the dispute is whether the mosque was built after destroying some parts of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.On April 8, a Varanasi court had allowed an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) study of the Gyanvapi Mosque.This order was passed in a suit which was stayed by the Allahabad High Court in 1998. The suit was filed in 1991 seeking restoration of the ancient temple at the site where the Gyanvapi Mosque currently stands.The trial was re-commenced by the Varanasi court, which held that the stay stood vacated in light of the Supreme Court's directions in Asian Resurfacing of Road Agency Pvt. Ltd. and another v. Central Bureau of Investigation. The apex court had held in this case that a stay granted by a court will end on expiry of six months from the date of such order unless similar extension is granted.The order by Varanasi court was passed despite the Allahabad High Court reserving its judgment on March 15, in various pleas which had challenged the maintainability of the suit before the Varanasi trial court..The order of Varanasi court directing ASI survey has been challenged before the Allahabad High Court which has sought the responses of the Union and State governments on the same.