The Varanasi District Court on Friday permitted the scientific survey of Gyanvapi mosque, except for wuzukhana by the Archeological Survey of India. The Court, hearing the plea of four women permitted the survey to find out whether the mosque was constructed over pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.
The court directed that the survey should happen between 8-12am and no damage should be caused to the mosque as part of the survey. The court said there will be no restrictions on namaz at the mosque.
Government counsel Rajesh Mishra said the court ordered a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple here. The barricaded ‘wuzukhana’, where a structure claimed by Hindu litigants to be a ‘Shivling’ exists, will not be part of the survey.
The court of A.K. Vishvesh upheld the petition of a group of Hindu devotees seeking a scientific survey to determine if the mosque was built at the site of a Hindu temple. The court had on July 14 reserved its order after hearing both Hindu and Muslim sides.
The petition filed by the Hindu group had sought direction to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to survey the entire Gyanvapi mosque complex. The Muslim side had opposed the plea, saying an ASI survey could damage the complex.
