New Delhi: The Varanasi District Court on Friday rejected the plea seeking scientific investigation including carbon dating of the purported "Shivling" that the Hindu petitioners had claimed to have found inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex during court-mandated videography of the premises in May this year.
District Court Judge Ajaya Krishna Vishvesha after hearing the matter rejected the plea by the Hindu petitioners. The District Court based its decision on the May 16 Supreme Court order which directed to seal the Gyanvapi mosque-Kashi Vishwanath temple complex restricting anyone to enter the premises.
The arguments over carbon dating and scientific investigation of the Shivling-like structure were completed in the Court during the last hearing on Tuesday after which the Court reserved its order till today.
During the videography of the mosque premises, the Hindu side said that it found a long stone with a round top close to ‘wazoo khana’ — a small reservoir used by Muslims to perform ritual ablution before offering namaz — and claimed it to be “Shivling” while the Masjid Intezamia Committee said that it is not a Shivling but a part of a fountain.
On October 7, District government advocate Mahendra Pratap Pandey said that the Hindu side had submitted its explanation regarding the carbon dating and scientific examination of the alleged Shivling.
Responding to the arguments, appearing for Muslim petitioners, Advocate Mumtaz Ahmed said that they had told the court that carbon dating of the figure found on the premises can not be done.
Carbon dating is a scientific process that ascertains the age of an archaeological object or archaeological finds.