In a significant development concerning the Gyanvapi Mosque complex in Varanasi, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has sought an additional 15 days to submit its comprehensive survey report. This request was made to the Varanasi District Court, which had previously set a deadline of November 17 for the submission of the report.
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The ASI’s application, filed before District Judge A.K. Vishvesh, indicates that the survey report is nearing completion. However, the preparation of the report, particularly the section conducted by Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), is still underway. This extension request comes after the ASI had already spent about 30 days surveying the premises.
The survey, initiated as per the July 21 order of the Varanasi District Judge, aims to determine if the 17th-century Gyanvapi Mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple. The ASI had previously informed the court on November 2 that the survey work was “completed,” but the need for additional time arose due to the pending arrival of the report on the techniques used in the survey.
The Supreme Court, on August 4, had refused to stay the Allahabad High Court’s order permitting the ASI survey, with the exception of the ‘wuzukhana’ area where a ‘shivling’ was claimed to have been found. The apex court, in its order by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, directed the ASI to avoid any invasive acts during the survey, effectively ruling out excavations.
The Gyanvapi Mosque management committee had previously raised objections to the survey, alleging unauthorized digging and accumulation of debris by the ASI, which they feared could risk the structural integrity of the mosque. The mosque committee had also approached the Supreme Court against the high court’s order.
The Varanasi court had initially granted the ASI an additional month beyond its original deadline of August 4 to complete the survey, followed by a four-week extension on September 6. The Allahabad High Court had upheld the Varanasi district court’s decision to conduct the survey, deeming it “necessary in the interest of justice” and beneficial for both Hindu and Muslim parties involved in the dispute.
The hearing for the ASI’s application for an extension is scheduled for Saturday, with significant attention focused on the outcome and its implications for the historical and religious site.
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