Daily prayers have begun in the sealed cellar of the Gyanvapi masjid on Thursday, following a Varanasi Court’s order in favour of the Hindu side on Wednesday. Arrangements were made by the district administration after the Varanasi District Court permitted pooja in the ‘Vyas Ka Tehkhana’ in Gyanvapi mosque.
The court had directed the local administration to make arrangements within seven days for prayers in the cellar. This will involve “proper arrangements” with metal barricades at the complex.
Vishnu Shankar Jain, the lawyer representing the Hindu side said daily poojas have begun at Vyas Ka Tehkhana. Jain said, “In compliance with the order of Varanasi Court, the State government and district administration have made amendments to the barricading and daily puja has started in ‘Vyas parivar Tehkhana.”
Chairman of Kashi Vishwanath Trust Nagendra Pandey said following court orders, the cellar was opened at 10.30pm on Wednesday and poojas were performed. According to Hindu side counsel Madan Mohan Yadav, the barricades before the Nandi statue facing the mosque’s ‘wazukhana’ will be removed to make way.
Official sources in the district administration said that at around 9.30pm on Wednesday, the members of the Kashi-Vishwanath Trust were called and the barricades before the Nandi statue facing the mosque’s ‘wazukhana’ were removed.
Jitendra Nath Vyas, a member of the Vyas family who has been allowed to offer prayers inside Gyanvapi mosque said, ” We are very happy that we have got the permission to resume puja there. At the time of the puja yesterday, five priests of the Kashi Vishwanath temple trust, members of the Vyas family, Varanasi DM and Commissioner were present.”
Pandey said “Court has ordered the opening and subsequent worship at the ‘tehkhana’ which was closed for years. No side should have any issues now. As per the court’s orders, we will do all necessary procedures. We have been given the right to worship our deity.”
Meanwhile, The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to urgently hear a petition by the Gyanvapi masjid committee challenging the Varanasi Court’s order allowing prayers at sealed premises of the mosque.However, they were asked to approach Allahabad High Court.
According to reports, following the district court’s order, the masjid committee approached the Supreme Court’s registrar on Wednesday night, seeking an urgent hearing on a plea seeking to maintain the status quo at the site. The committee raised apprehensions that poojas would be conducted on Wednesday night itself and the district administration was acting in hot haste, pre-empting any legal challenge by the mosque committee.
