In a significant development, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has resumed its ‘scientific survey’ of the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi to determine whether it was built over a Hindu temple. This comes after the Allahabad High Court granted permission for the survey, citing the importance of seeking justice.
The survey commenced under tight security arrangements at approximately 7 am, with ASI team members and representatives of the Hindu petitioners present inside the complex. While some BJP leaders have welcomed the verdict, asserting that the “truth” about the temple’s existence at the site will be revealed, the mosque committee has expressed opposition to the survey and challenged the ruling in the Supreme Court.
A request to hear the matter in the Supreme Court has been made by the mosque committee, who have also chosen to boycott the survey. Additionally, one of the Hindu parties involved in the dispute has filed a caveat in the Supreme Court, seeking that no orders be passed without their side being heard.
The dispute revolves around claims from Hindu petitioners, who contend that a temple previously existed at the site and was demolished during the 17th century under the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Earlier, the Supreme Court had prohibited any survey inside the mosque complex, except for the exclusion of the ‘wazukhana,’ a structure claimed by the petitioners to house a ‘shivling.’
The ‘scientific survey’ was initially ordered by a Varanasi district court on July 21 following a petition filed by four women who believed it was the only way to determine the origins of the mosque and ascertain whether it was built after demolishing a Hindu temple. The survey was scheduled to begin on July 24 but was swiftly halted by the Supreme Court after an appeal from the mosque committee.
The committee had raised concerns about the mosque’s age, stating that it is over a thousand years old and any excavation could potentially destabilize the structure, leading to its collapse. They also argued that such a survey would violate existing laws concerning religious places.
As the survey resumes, all eyes are on the Supreme Court’s hearing to decide the fate of the investigation. The outcome of this contentious matter will undoubtedly have significant implications for both religious communities and could shape the historical narrative of the Gyanvapi Mosque’s origin.
