Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh): Hearing in the Gyanvapi Mosque case was taken up before a bench of the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday. The counsel from the Hindu side, Vishnu Shankar Jain, showing an old map to the court, claimed that the Swayambhu Visveshwar Nath (Lord Shiva) temple was surrounded by eight Mandapas (ceremonial halls).
Three existing domes of the Gyanvapi mosque earlier had three Mandapas and those were related to Shringar Gauri, Ganesh and Dandapani, he said. Idols had been installed on these three Mandapas, which were destroyed after the issuance of Farman (diktat) by Mughal emperor Aurungzeb, claimed advocate Vishnu Shankar.
Another counsel Harishankar Jain representing the Hindu side while pleading through video-conferencing said a book authored by Aurungzeb, 'Alamgir', speaks about that Farman (diktat) in which he ordered the destruction of Vishveshwar Nath temple.
Besides, another book authored by a British writer had mentioned that devotees were worshipping deities at the Shringar Gauri Gyanvapi mosque complex earlier. These books should be taken into consideration as a piece of evidence under the Indian Evidence Act, the counsel from the Hindu side pleaded before the court. On the other hand, Justice JJ Munir of the Allahabad High Court asked the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid committee to put up the matter for further hearing on December 7.
