Hindus Allowed To Worship In Sealed Basement Of Varanasi's Gyanvapi Mosque [Update in post#11]

[IndoorCricket]

Varanasi court directs ASI to conduct survey at Kashi Viswanath temple, Gyanvapi Masjid; to report of existence of structural overlapping over any religious structure

Varanasi court Thursday directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a physical survey of Varanasi’s Kashi Vishwanath Temple and the adjacent Gyanvapi Masjid.

It directed the director-general of the ASI to constitute a five-member committee of eminent persons and experts well-versed with archaeology with two of its members being preferably from the minority community.

The committee’s prime purpose, the court said, would be to find out whether the religious structure standing at the disputed site is a superimposition, alteration or addition or if there is structural overlapping of any kind over any other religious structure.

The committee would also trace if any temple belonging to the Hindu community ever existed before the mosque was built or superimposed or added at the disputed site. If so, the committee was to find out the age, size, monumental and architectural design or style, etc., and what Hindu deity or deities the same was devoted to.

The court added that while carrying out the survey, the committee would ensure that Muslims were not prevented from offering namaz at the disputed site. If the same was not practical due to the survey work, the committee would provide Muslims an alternative, suitable place to offer namaz within the precincts of the mosque.

The Court rejected the argument of the defendants that the mosque had been entered at the disputed site in the revenue records, hence the same was not open for challenge.

“It is well settled that a revenue entry is not a conclusive piece of the evidence establishing the title of the person whose name has been mutated. It is always open to challenge in a regular civil suit”, the Court held.

It said a survey by the ASI alone could bring the truth of the matter before the court. Irrespective of what surfaces, the survey by ASI may go on to help not only the plaintiffs but also the defendants, if their version is indeed true.

It also directed the Uttar Pradesh government to bear the cost of the survey.

The direction came to be passed by Civil Judge (Senior Division) Ashutosh Tiwari on a petition claiming that Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1664 pulled down a portion of the 2000-year-old Kashi Vishwanath temple to build the mosque in its place. The Gyanvyapi Mosque management committee had opposed the petition.

The Gyanvapi mosque shares a boundary wall with the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

https://www.theleaflet.in/varanasi-...al-overlapping-over-any-religious-structure/#

 

[IndoorCricket]

Another Ayodhya in making?

 

[Hornbill]

Many buddhist and Jain temples were converted in to hindu temples, it will be interesting to see the reaction of hindus if Jains and Buddhists files case for the ownership of those structures.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Many buddhist and Jain temples were converted in to hindu temples, it will be interesting to see the reaction of hindus if Jains and Buddhists files case for the ownership of those structures.

Can you name some of these temples?

 

[CricketCartoons]

Many buddhist and Jain temples were converted in to hindu temples, it will be interesting to see the reaction of hindus if Jains and Buddhists files case for the ownership of those structures.

Any single case that has been filed?

 

[Itachi]

Many buddhist and Jain temples were converted in to hindu temples, it will be interesting to see the reaction of hindus if Jains and Buddhists files case for the ownership of those structures.

One should file a case if that's the case.

 

[cricketjoshila]

Masir i Alamgiri mentions the destruction of Vishwanath temple on the orders of Aurangzeb.

 

[IndoorCricket]

Many buddhist and Jain temples were converted in to hindu temples, it will be interesting to see the reaction of hindus if Jains and Buddhists files case for the ownership of those structures.

I couldn't find a single authentic source for this claim. I personally don't mind Hindu temples getting converted back to Buddhist and Jain temples.

 

[Hornbill]

I couldn't find a single authentic source for this claim. I personally don't mind Hindu temples getting converted back to Buddhist and Jain temples.

If you think sources are not authentic file case against historians and archeologists for spreading misinformation, they are still receiving pensions and salaries from government.

 

[CricketCartoons]

If you think sources are not authentic file case against historians and archeologists for spreading misinformation, they are still receiving pensions and salaries from government.

Show one case of buddhists or jains filing a case.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Hindu petitioners can worship inside the previously sealed basement - the 'Vyas ka tekhana' area - of the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi, a city court ruled Wednesday.

The judge also said arrangements, including removal of barricades, are to be completed in a week. The court further said prayers should be conducted by priests from the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

"Hindu side allowed to offer prayers... district administration will have to make arrangements in seven days. Everyone will have the right to pray there," Vishnu Shankar Jain, the lawyer for the four Hindu women petitioners in this case, said.

The mosque committee is expected to challenge this order in a higher court.

The mosque has four 'tekhana', or cellar, in the basement. One is still in the possession of a family of priests that used to live there. The family had argued that, as hereditary priests, they be allowed to enter the structure and perform pujas.

According to the petition, the priest, Somnath Vyas, used to perform prayers till 1993 when the cellar was closed.

It had earlier been claimed debris from statues of Hindu gods was found during a survey of the area. It had also been claimed parts of a pre-existing structure - ruled as a temple by the ASI report - including pillars, were used in building the mosque.

Today's order comes a day after the four Hindu women approached the Supreme Court asking for excavation and scientific survey of a 'shivling' reportedly found inside the sealed 'wazukhana' area of the mosque complex.

This area had been sealed in 2022 following a Supreme Court order, but the Hindu side has now asked the court for the ASI, or Archaeological Survey of India, to carry out another survey of the 'wazukhana' area without harming the 'shivling'.

Last month, in a crucial judgement, the Allahabad High Court had rejected all petitions by the mosque committee that had challenged civil suits seeking restoration of the temple at the site.

The overall case relates to the Gyanvapi mosque, located adjacent to the iconic Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

The High Court had heard, and rejected petitions, including two from the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, challenging the maintainability of a 1991 case before a Varanasi court.

The 1991 suit - filed on behalf of the Adi Vishveswar Virajman deity - sought control of the disputed premises. Challenging this, the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee and the Waqf board argued the suit was not maintainable under a law that restricts alteration of the character of a religious places as it existed on Independence Day, i.e., August 15, 1947.

The petitioners argued that because the dispute is pre-Independence it would not be affected.

Source: NDTV

Hindus Allowed To Worship In Sealed Basement Of Varanasi's Gyanvapi Mosque

Hindu petitioners can worship inside the previously sealed basement of the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, a city court ruled Wednesday afternoon, directing district officials to make the necessary preparations within seven days.

www.ndtv.com

 

[IndoorCricket]

If you think sources are not authentic file case against historians and archeologists for spreading misinformation, they are still receiving pensions and salaries from government.

I been to Angkor wat recently. The temples there were converted from Hindu Gods to Buddhists and vice versa through generations. Now people from both the religion accept those temples as their holy place and pray. If some reconciliation like this happens I would be ok. Because at the end of the day these are Dharmic religions. The spiritual teachings are the same

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Muslims should learn their lesson from the Ram temple and not expect any justice.

In this type of scenario it's better to hand over the masjid and resist. Give it to our peaceful hindu brothers so it doesn't create a scenario for the right wing goons to exploit.

 

[FearlessRoar]

Muslims in India should respect the laws of the country, considering that India is a Hindu state. They chose to live in India during the partition, so now they should respect their laws.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Muslims in India should respect the laws of the country, considering that India is a Hindu state. They chose to live in India during the partition, so now they should respect their laws.

They could consider reverting to hindu religion and that way they get to keep their places of worship. I don't know what caste that would make them, if they were dalits they might be hesitant.

 

[Champ_Pal]

They could consider reverting to hindu religion and that way they get to keep their places of worship. I don't know what caste that would make them, if they were dalits they might be hesitant.

They can be casteless. It is not mandatory to have caste in Hinduism. Sindhis do not follow caste system. Arya Samajis do not follow caste system. You can choose to not identify with any caste. Caste can become mandatory if a person is applying for reservation quota. In that case, the person has to prove he or she is a Dalit or a Backward caste.