Gyanvapi case: Hindu side seeks ASI survey of remaining cellars
The application, filed before a district court in Varanasi, requests the ASI to undertake surveys of the remaining cellars whose entrances are blocked.
- Feb 5, 2024,
- Updated Feb 5, 2024 4:52 PM IST
Days after a Varanasi court allowed puja in one of the cellars, a Hindu petitioner has moved a trial court, seeking directions to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to survey the remaining cellars in the Gyanvapi complex. The petitioner argues that surveying these cellars is crucial to ascertain the religious character of the precinct, India Today reported on Monday.
The application, filed before a district court in Varanasi, requests the ASI to undertake surveys of the remaining cellars whose entrances are blocked. It also urges the department to conduct surveys of cellars that were not investigated during the recent survey of the Gyanvapi precincts. The plea emphasises that any survey conducted should avoid causing damage to the structure.
Also read: Gyanvapi case: Allahabad HC refuses to stay puja at Gyanvapi, adjourns hearing till Feb 6
The petitioner says some cellars remain unsurveyed due to blocked entrances, although these blockages consist of bricks and stones, and the structure's load does not rest on these blocked areas. The ASI experts, the petition adds, possess the necessary skills to safely remove these obstructions without harming the structure.
Moreover, the plea suggests obtaining a report from the ASI regarding the removal of blocked entrances to ensure the preservation and protection of the structure.
Also read: Varanasi court allows Hindu side to offer prayers at Gyanvapi
Last Wednesday, the district court ruled that a priest can perform prayers before the idols in a cellar of the Gyanvapi, a significant development in the legal battle over the mosque adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple. The court said the prayers will be conducted by a "pujari" nominated by the Kashi Vishwanath temple trust and the petitioner who has claimed his grandfather offered puja at the cellar up to December 1993.
Following the order, puja, and aarti were performed on the Gyanvapi premises on Thursday. The court order was delivered on the plea of Shailendra Kumar Pathak who claimed that his maternal grandfather, priest Somnath Vyas, offered prayers till December 1993.
(With inputs from Srishti Ojha)
Days after a Varanasi court allowed puja in one of the cellars, a Hindu petitioner has moved a trial court, seeking directions to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to survey the remaining cellars in the Gyanvapi complex. The petitioner argues that surveying these cellars is crucial to ascertain the religious character of the precinct, India Today reported on Monday.
The application, filed before a district court in Varanasi, requests the ASI to undertake surveys of the remaining cellars whose entrances are blocked. It also urges the department to conduct surveys of cellars that were not investigated during the recent survey of the Gyanvapi precincts. The plea emphasises that any survey conducted should avoid causing damage to the structure.
Also read: Gyanvapi case: Allahabad HC refuses to stay puja at Gyanvapi, adjourns hearing till Feb 6
The petitioner says some cellars remain unsurveyed due to blocked entrances, although these blockages consist of bricks and stones, and the structure's load does not rest on these blocked areas. The ASI experts, the petition adds, possess the necessary skills to safely remove these obstructions without harming the structure.
Moreover, the plea suggests obtaining a report from the ASI regarding the removal of blocked entrances to ensure the preservation and protection of the structure.
Also read: Varanasi court allows Hindu side to offer prayers at Gyanvapi
Last Wednesday, the district court ruled that a priest can perform prayers before the idols in a cellar of the Gyanvapi, a significant development in the legal battle over the mosque adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple. The court said the prayers will be conducted by a "pujari" nominated by the Kashi Vishwanath temple trust and the petitioner who has claimed his grandfather offered puja at the cellar up to December 1993.
Following the order, puja, and aarti were performed on the Gyanvapi premises on Thursday. The court order was delivered on the plea of Shailendra Kumar Pathak who claimed that his maternal grandfather, priest Somnath Vyas, offered prayers till December 1993.
(With inputs from Srishti Ojha)