The Allahabad High Court has postponed the hearing on the plea seeking ASI survey of the wuzukhana area in Gyanvapi mosque. The next hearing is scheduled for October 7.
Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court has postponed the hearing of a petition seeking an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey of the ‘wazukhana’ (ablution) area inside the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, excluding the structure known as the ‘Shivling’ by Hindus and a fountain by Muslims. The next hearing is scheduled for October 7.
On Tuesday, when the case was taken up, the court was informed that the counsel for the Muslim side was unwell and could not attend the hearing. Subsequently, the court adjourned the hearing.
The petition challenges an order passed by a Varanasi judge on October 21, 2023, which refused to direct the ASI to survey the wuzukhana area, excluding the Shivling.
A civil revision petition has been filed by Rakhi Singh, one of the plaintiffs, before the Varanasi court challenging the district judge’s order.
In her revision petition, Singh pleaded that the survey of the wuzukhana area is necessary in the interest of justice. It shall benefit the plaintiffs and defendants alike and help the court arrive at a just decision in the suit, she said.
The revision petition has further said that the ASI survey of the wuzukhana area is necessary so that the religious character of the entire property could be determined.
The ASI has already conducted a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi complex and has also submitted its report to the Varanasi district judge.
The ASI had conducted the survey in accordance with the July 21, 2023, order of the Varanasi district judge to determine if the mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.
The Gyanvapi mosque, located adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, has been at the center of a long-standing legal and religious dispute. The controversy intensified after the ASI’s survey report suggested the presence of a structure resembling a Shivling inside the mosque.
This has led to competing claims from both Hindu and Muslim communities regarding the site’s religious significance and historical origins.
The outcome of the Allahabad High Court’s upcoming hearing on October 7 will be closely watched, as it may have significant implications for the ongoing legal proceedings and the broader discourse on religious sites in India.
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