Varanasi, Oct 24 The Varanasi district court may issue a crucial decision on Friday regarding the Gyanvapi site, where a Shivling was reportedly found during an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey. The hearing is expected to determine whether the deteriorated sealing cloth covering the disputed area should be replaced.
The area in question was sealed after the discovery of the Shivling during the court-ordered survey. Previously, the court had directed that the fish found in the sealed section be transferred to the wazukhana (ablution pond). However, with the sealing cloth now completely damaged, the court is expected to decide whether to reseal the area with a new cloth to maintain security and prevent further disputes.
Speaking to IANS, advocate Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi, representing the Hindu side, said, “The Gyanvapi matter is trial number 18/22, in which, under the order of the district and civil court, an ASI survey was conducted. During the survey, a Shivling was found inside what is referred to as the wazukhana. Since the issue was highly sensitive and had reached courts from the district level to the Supreme Court, the area was sealed and placed under paramilitary protection.”
He added, “The sealing cloth has now deteriorated due to time. We have requested the district court to replace it to avoid any allegations or counter-allegations. The court is expected to deliver its decision today on whether the cloth will be changed.”
The Gyanvapi dispute has been ongoing for several years. On September 12, 2022, the Varanasi District Court rejected objections against a petition filed by five Hindu women seeking permission to offer daily prayers to Hindu deities within the disputed mosque premises.
The order allowed the continuation of hearings questioning the religious identity of the site, effectively reopening discussions around the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 — a law intended to maintain the religious character of places of worship as they existed on August 15, 1947.
The case originated in August 2021, when five Hindu women filed a plea in the Varanasi Civil Court seeking permission to worship idols allegedly located inside the Gyanvapi Mosque. Following the petition, an Enquiry Commission conducted a video survey of the mosque premises, during which Hindu petitioners claimed that a Shivling was found inside the wazukhana, a pond used by Muslims for ablution before prayers.
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