A team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) commenced a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, on Monday morning. The survey comes in the wake of a petition filed by the Hindu side, seeking a “scientific survey” of the entire Gyanvapi mosque premises to determine if it was constructed over a pre-existing Hindu temple. The Varanasi district court had ordered the extensive investigation, asserting that it was necessary to unveil the truth surrounding the historical site.
The Gyanvapi mosque has been at the center of a legal dispute, with the mosque management committee filing a petition in the Supreme Court against the district court’s order allowing the inspection. However, despite the controversy, the ASI team, along with four Hindu women plaintiffs and their counsels, entered the complex to conduct the survey, under tight security arrangements.
The Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee, which oversees the mosque’s management, decided to boycott the ASI survey. In a statement, SM Yasin, the committee’s joint secretary, affirmed their non-participation and clarified that neither they nor their advocate would be present during the ASI survey.
The Gyanvapi mosque case had its origins when five women petitioners sought permission to pray at the “Shringar Gauri Sthal” inside the shrine complex. A court-mandated survey conducted on May 16 last year revealed a structure, claimed by the Hindu side to be a “Shivling,” while the Muslim side contends it to be part of a fountain.
Sohan Lal Arya, one of the petitioners in the Gyanvapi mosque case, expressed his satisfaction with the ASI survey, calling it a “glorious moment” for the Hindu community.
The Varanasi district court, in its ruling on Friday, ordered the exclusion of the sealed section of the mosque premises from the survey. This section has remained sealed since a Supreme Court order in May 2022. The area under seal is the subject of intense contention, with Hindus asserting the presence of a Shivling, and Muslims claiming it to be part of a fountain.
The ASI survey, which started on Monday, aims to uncover historical evidence to ascertain the site’s significance and resolve the longstanding dispute. All parties involved in the matter have been duly informed about the survey, as confirmed by Varanasi District Magistrate S Rajalingam.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had ordered the protection of the area around the claimed ‘shivling’ after it was found during a video survey ordered by another court. The mosque management had maintained that the structure was part of the water fountain mechanism at the ‘wazukhana,’ where devotees perform ablutions before offering namaz.
In the course of the legal proceedings, lawyers representing the mosque argued that the case violated the Place of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which prevents changing the character of any place of worship as it was on August 15, 1947. Notably, the Act had made an exemption for the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid legal dispute.
As the ASI survey progresses, the spotlight remains on the historical and religious significance of the Gyanvapi mosque complex, and its outcome will have far-reaching implications for both communities involved in the dispute.
