Varanasi Court permits Hindu parties to offer prayers, puja in southern cellar of Gyanvapi Mosque

Amid the ongoing court dispute over the religious character of the land that houses the Gyanvapi mosque, a district court in Varanasi on Tuesday directed a receiver to allow Hindu parties to offer prayers and puja in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi Mosque..The Court said that proper arrangements have to be made in the said area and puja is to be performed by a priest nominated by the Kashi Vishwanath Trust Board. For this purpose, fencing may also be erected within seven days, the Court directed.."District Magistrate, Varanasi / receiver is directed to get puja, raga-blog performed of the idols located inside that the basement situated on the south side of the building which is the suit property, by the priest named by the Kashi Vishwanath Trust Board and the plaintiff. For this purpose, make proper arrangements of iron fencing etc. within 7 days," the order stated. The order was passed in response to a plea by Hindu plaintiffs seeking worship rights in the 'tehkhana' (basement) of the disputed land housing the Gyanvapi Mosque.Judge AK Vishvesha had heard the arguments of the parties involved on this aspect and had reserved its verdict on January 30."The defendant has filed an application paper no. 57C under Order 7 Rule 11D Civil Procedure Code, for disposal of this application. The file should be presented on 08.02.2024. Meanwhile, the plaintiff can present objections," the Court noted further..Worship has been permitted in the tehkhana (basement) inside the Gyanvapi Mosque premises. Worship at this spot was stopped in the year 1993. .Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain appeared for the Hindu parties in the case..The Hindu side had argued that worship activities were earlier conducted in the basement by Somenath Vyas and his family until November 1993. They further claimed that the government of the time led by Mulayam Singh Yadav had prohibited worship in that space after November 1993..In the main suit, the Hindu side has argued that a section of the temple was destroyed during the rule of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in the 17th century. On the other hand, the Muslim side has maintained that the mosque predated Aurangzeb's reign and also asserted that it had endured various alterations over time.On a related note, the Allahabad High Court today issued notice to the Anjuman Intezamia Mosque Committee (Muslim side) and sought its response to a plea filed by a Hindu party seeking an ASI survey of the wuzukhana region within the Gyanvapi Mosque premises at Varanasi.Notably, the ASI has already conducted a comprehensive scientific survey of the Gyanvapi complex in Varanasi.The ASI recently submitted a report to a Varanasi district court asserting that an ancient Hindu Temple existed at the site before the construction of the Gyanvapi Mosque..[Read Order]