Varanasi : — In a significant development, a Varanasi court on Wednesday granted permission to the Hindu side to perform prayers in the sealed basement of the contested Gyanvapi mosque premises. The court ruling allows the priest’s kin the right to worship deities in the cellar, referred to as “Vyas ji ka tahkhana,” located within the Gyanvapi complex.
Advocate Madan Mohan Yadav, representing the Hindu side, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision. He confirmed that the Varanasi court has granted permission for Hindus to conduct worship in the specified area. The temple side plaintiffs celebrated the order as a substantial victory for their case.
According to the court’s directive, the puja in the sealed area is scheduled to commence in seven days. Additionally, Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust will appoint a pujari for the worship proceedings.
This development unfolded a day after Hindu women plaintiffs approached the Supreme Court, seeking directions for the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to investigate the details of the ‘Shivling’ claimed to have been discovered at Varanasi’s Gyanvapi mosque, specifically in the sealed area.
Last year, on July 21, the district court had instructed the ASI to conduct a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi premises, situated adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi. The ASI’s task was to determine whether the mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.
