The Varanasi court on Wednesday, 18 May, is expected to hear a plea seeking the demolition of a wall beneath the wazu khana of the Gyanvapi Mosque, where an alleged Shivling has been found by a court-appointed survey committee.
"We've moved an application in the court that wall beneath 'Wazu Khana' (of Gyanvapi Masjid) be demolished and we should be allowed to go there. Court will pronounce its verdict today on the same," Advocate Vishnu Jain, appearing for the petitioners in the case, was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The plea has been furthered by some women of Varanasi, who have sought the razing of the wall and the removal of the resulting debris, in order for a further survey of the area where the alleged Shivling was found. The northern wall in the basement of the mosque should be removed to measure the size of the Shivling, the applicants have pleaded, as per a Times of India report.
Jain noted that the state government has also moved an application to protect the fish in the wazu khana, a fountain used for the ritual washing before the offering of namaz.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday had passed an interim order directing while the area within the mosque where an alleged Shivling was said to be found should be protected, Muslims must not be restricted from entering and praying in the mosque.
The Varanasi court-mandated survey work of the disputed Gyanvapi Mosque complex, which had been conducted for three days, was completed on Monday. The court on Tuesday granted two days' time to the commissioners to submit the report, and ordered the removal of Ajay Kumar Mishra from the court-appointed committee for leaking information from the survey to the media.
Petitioners Claim 'Shivling' Found at Mosque, Management Committee Says It Was Fountain Structure
After the videography survey of the mosque ended on Monday, the counsel representing the petitioners' side claimed that a Shivling had been found after water was drained out of a pond in the complex. The Varanasi district court subsequently ordered the district magistrate to seal the area where the alleged Shivling had been found and prohibited the entry of any person to the area.
On the other hand, the mosque management committee member challenged the claim, saying that the object found was part of the water fountain mechanism at the wazookhana, adding that the mosque management was not given a chance to present their argument before the court, which issued the order to seal the area based on the claims made by the petitioners.
What Is the Case?
The location of Gyanvapi Mosque in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi is adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple. It is believed that it was built in the 17th century after the demolition of an existing Vishweshwar temple.
Some are of the opinion that the original lingam of the erstwhile Vishweshwar temple was hidden away in the adjoining Gyanvapi well during a raid by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
The court, in April this year, ordered a video inspection of the site after five women affiliated with the right-wing group Vishwa Vedic Sanatan Sangh filed petitions saying they were entitled to have daily darshan, puja, and perform rituals at the site of Maa Shringar Gauri, Lord Ganesh, Lord Hanuman, and other "visible and invisible deities within old temple complex."
However, the survey could not take place as the mosque committee opposed videography inside the mosque, accused Advocate Commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra of bias, and demanded his replacement.
The Varanasi court on Thursday, 12 May, ordered that the survey work will continue, and instead of replacing Mishra, appointed two more lawyers – Vishal Kumar Singh and Ajay Singh – to accompany him. The survey work had begun on Saturday.
(With inputs from ANI and Times of India)
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