Hindus Allowed To Worship In Basement Of Gyanvapi Mosque; Puja To Start In 7 Days, Orders Court

Varanasi: A court here on Wednesday allowed Hindu devotees to worship inside the sealed basement of Gyanvapi mosque.

As per the order of District court judge Ajay Krishna Vishwesha, the family of a priest will have the right to worship Hindu deities at ‘Vyas Ka Tekhana’, a restricted area in the Gyanvapi mosque complex.

The judge also asked the district magistrate to take over the basement and ensure that the puja starts in the next 7 days.

The court directed the administration to make necessary arrangements for the puja to be performed by devotees and asked Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust to nominate a pujari for the same.

“Hindu side has been allowed to offer prayers at Vyas Ka Tekhana. The District Administration will have to make arrangements within 7 days. Everyone will now have the right to perform puja,” advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side, told newspersons.

Jain compared Varanasi court’s order to a 1983 verdict by Justice KM Mohan.

“I see Varanasi court’s recent order as historic just like the order given by Justice Krishna Mohan Pandey in 1983, who ordered the opening of locks of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya,” said Jain.

Last week, the Hindu side said that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report revealed that a Hindu temple had existed before the construction of Gyanvapi mosque.

Four woman plaintiffs moved Supreme Court seeking excavation and a survey of the sealed section of Gyanvapi mosque.

The women argued in their plea that the exact nature of the ‘Shivling’ can be determined only after removing the artificial/modern walls/floors surrounding it and by undertaking a survey of the entire sealed area by excavation and using other scientific methods.