Survey Begins At Gyanvapi Mosque Complex In Varanasi, Report Due On August 4

The District Court in Varanasi on Friday allowed the ASI to conduct a survey of the mosque premises, barring the wuzukhana (place for ablution).

New Delhi: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has begun its survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises on Monday. The survey will be conducted with the help of modern technologies, including radar mapping. This comes after a Varanasi court on Friday allowed the ASI to conduct a survey of the mosque premises, barring the wuzukhana (place for ablution). A team of the ASI arrived on Sunday to conduct a scientific survey to determine if the Gyanvapi mosque is built upon a temple.

According to a report by the news agency PTI, the Advocate of the Hindu side, Madan Mohan Yadav, said that an advocate for each of the petitioners will accompany the ASI team when it begins the survey of the Gyanvapi premises planned to begin at 7 am. ASI has to submit the report to the district court by August 4.

Meanwhile, the Gyanvapi Masjid Committee moved the Supreme Court seeking an urgent listing of their case. The plea was filed by the Masjid Committee in the first week of July. However, the urgent listing is being sought in the wake of the recent District Court order allowing the ASI survey.

The District Court on Friday was hearing a plea filed by the Hindu side seeking direction for a scientific survey of the entire Gyanvapi mosque premises by the ASI. The court completed the arguments on the matter on July 14.

The petition was filed in May this year by five women who in another plea had earlier sought permission to worship daily the deities Shringar Gauri, Lord Ganesha, Lord Hanuman, and Nandi, whose idols are located on the outer wall of the Gyanvapi mosque.

During the hearing, the Mosque committee opposed the Hindu side's plea seeking an ASI survey, and submitted an application to the Varanasi court saying that neither Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was cruel, nor did he demolish any Lord Adi Vishweshwar Temple in Varanasi.

The Muslim side also denied the contention of the Hindu side that the Lord Adi Vishweshwar Temple temple was attacked and destroyed by a Muslim invader and Raja Tondal Mal restored the temple at the same place in 1580 AD.

(With agency inputs)