Court grants permission for a scientific survey of Gyanvapi area

• Order to complete survey by 4th August 2023 and submit report
• The survey might prove the ancient existence of Gyanvapi and Shivalinga

Representational image (Credit : OpIndia)

Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) – The District Court has granted permission to the Survey of Archaeology of India for conducting a scientific survey of the entire Gyanvapi area. The Court has also passed an order to conduct such a survey by 4th August 2023 and to submit its report. The Hindu litigants in the case had demanded a survey. The whole premises of Gyanvapi will be surveyed except ‘Wajukhana’ (where hands/feet are washed before namaz). After the survey was conducted as per the Court’s earlier order, ‘Wajukhana’ has been closed down. This survey will show how old the Gyanvapi structure is and the age of the big Shivalinga found in Gyanvapi. Modern machinery will be used to conduct this survey. Muslim parties in this case had opposed the survey. The Advocate Commissioner had earlier undertaken a survey of the area around Gyanvapi as per the Court’s order, wherein Shivalinga was found near ‘Wajukhana’. There were Hindu religious symbols on the west-side wall of Gyanvapi.

The Hindu petitioners have claimed that there are 3 ‘Ghumat (domes)’ and the floor below them has been closed by constructing walls. With such a scientific survey, it is possible to find the original Shivalinga of Kashi Vishweshwar, along with Idols of Deities. A new dome has been constructed in Mughal style on the original domes to hide them.  There could be the sanctum sanctorum below these domes.

STORY | Varanasi court orders scientific survey of Gyanvapi mosque

READ: https://t.co/Y4CghsnT35

(PTI File Photo) pic.twitter.com/wmfgc0pfJx

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 21, 2023

Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain representing the Hindu petitioners informed that the demand has been made to conduct the survey between 8.00 a.m. and 12.00 noon. An earlier survey conducted by the Court Commissioner was held during this time only since it didn’t disturb the timing of namaz. If the Muslim parties went to Supreme Court, they would be opposed even there.

Decision on Shivalinga pending

Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain said that a separate case was being heard in the Court on Shivalinga found in ‘Wajukhana’; therefore, a survey would not be conducted again of ‘Wajukhana’. A case is pending in Supreme Court regarding this matter and the next hearing will be on the 29th of July 2023.