Court-panel begins survey at Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi complex as woman offers namaz

A woman offered namaz at gate no 4 of the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi complex as the team of court-appointed lawyers is all set to begin the videography survey and inspection of the Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal today (Friday). The woman tried to register her protest symbolically against the survey by offering the namaz. However, police personnel encircled her while offering namaz and later escorted her as she was leaving the spot.

Varanasi:As a woman offers namaz in a protest at gate no 4 of the Varanasi's Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi complex, the team of court-appointed lawyers is all set to begin the videography survey and inspection of the Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal today (Friday) at 3 pm. The police force has been deployed as the issue could turn sensitive with the management committee of the Gyanvapi mosque having already declared to oppose the decision of the local court.

SM Yasin, joint secretary of the Gyanvapi mosque managing committee — Anjuman Intejamiya Masjid — had said on Saturday (April 30) that no one will be allowed to enter the mosque and the committee was ready to face the consequences for opposing the decision of the judicial body.

The statement was made after Ravi Kumar Diwakar, the court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) of Varanasi had on April 26 ordered videography by the advocate commissioner of the Shringar Gauri temple in the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi mosque complex and other places after Eid and before May 10. Access to the mosque remains prohibited for non-Muslims and photography is prohibited.

As per the court’s orders, the entire survey is expected to take three to four days, during which the entire process will also be video graphed and photographed. The court has further ordered that both basements of the mosque will also be surveyed. The key to one cellar is with the district administration, whereas the mosque’s managing committee holds the key to the other basement.

The district administration fears that the Intejamiya committee’s continued resistance might lead to a volatile situation, especially since they hold the keys to one of the basements. However, the committee has assured that they will oppose the survey in a “peaceful manner".

The timing of the survey is especially significant, considering it is a Friday and the ‘namaaz’ is held only once a week — on Friday afternoon. According to the existing norms, around 100 ‘namaazis’ are only allowed.

The present case of Shringar Gauri worship dates back to April 8, 2021, when Delhi-based Rakhi Singh, Laxmi Devi, Sita Sahu, and others filed a case, demanding permission for daily worship and performing rituals at Shringar Gauri, Lord Ganesha, Lord Hanuman and Nandi located on the outer wall of the Gyanvapi mosque. The petitioners had also sought to refrain the opponents from causing any damage to the idols.

The Varanasi senior division civil court had back then ordered an archaeological survey of the premises and the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board in Lucknow had reacted to it saying that it will challenge the subordinate court’s order in the Allahabad High Court. This was on the grounds that the Supreme Court had said in the 2019 Ayodhya verdict that the status of no other place of worship will be allowed to change, and yet the civil judge ordered ASI to find out if the mosque is built over a temple.

The Kashi Vishwanath temple and the Gyanvapi mosque — built by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb — have been a lingering dispute involving the two shrines. The petitioners representing the Kashi Vishwanath Temple sought the declaration that the mosque stands on land belonging to Hindus. The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid on the other hand opposed the petition.

While on the other side, hundreds of people of 'Sant Samaj' under the leadership of "Kashi Sumeru Peethadheeshwar Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Narendranand Saraswati" performed Vedic chants with full rituals so that videography and photography of Gyanvapi complex can get completed without any hindrance.

Rejecting the appeal urging for "not to allow videography and entry of non-Muslims in the mosque" made by the member of Intejamiya Masjid Managing Committee, The court of Civil Judge (Senior Division) of Varanasi, Ravi Kumar Diwakar, had on April 26 ordered videography by the advocate commissioner of the Shringar Gauri temple in the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi mosque complex and other places after Eid and before May 10.