Bharat Express

Gyanvapi case

The Hindu side claims the original Jyotirlinga lies beneath the dome of the alleged mosque in the Gyanvapi complex. They want the ASI to excavate the site

The Gyanvapi Mosque case has taken a new turn as the Muslim side has approached the Supreme Court after the Allahabad High Court upheld the District Court's order permitting prayers in the cellar within the mosque complex

On January 31, the Varanasi district court granted permission for a priest to conduct prayers in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque.

In the petition filed in the court of the District Judge, a demand has been made to open the secret cellars of Gyanvapi and survey it from the ASI. 

The Allahabad High Court is simultaneously hearing five petitions related to the Gyanvapi dispute.

The ASI team began the survey work at 7 a.m. in the Gyanvapi premises. During the survey, information about various aspects was gathered. On the second day of the survey, representatives from the Muslim side also participated.

"If we call it a mosque, there will be a dispute and the government wants a resolution to it", he said adding that it has been a 'historical mistake' from the Muslim side.

The Supreme Court halted an archaeological investigation of the Gyanvapi mosque grounds in Varanasi a few days prior to allow time for a legal challenge.

The apex court had on November 11 last year extended till further orders the protection of the area where a 'Shivling' was claimed to have been found.