Krishna Janmabhoomi land dispute: Allahabad HC allows survey of Mathura's Idgah Mosque

In a significant decision, the Allahabad High Court has allowed a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah premises adjoining the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura.

Mathura: In a major decision in the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Eidgah Mosque case, the Allahabad High Court Thursday allowed a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah premises adjoining the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura.

In its order, the court agreed to the appointment of an advocate commissioner to oversee the survey of the mosque, which the petitioners claim has artefacts suggesting that it was a Hindu temple once. The court said the modalities of the survey will be discussed at the next hearing on December 18.

Vishnu Shankar Jain, the lawyer for the Hindu side said, "Allahabad HC has allowed our application where we had demanded survey of (Shahi Idgah Masjid) by advocate commissioner. The modalities will be decided on December 18. The court has rejected the arguments of Shahi Idgah Masjid. My demand was that in Shahi Idgah Masjid there are a lot of signs & symbols of the Hindu temple, and to know the actual position, an advocate commissioner is required. It's a landmark judgement by the court."

The Allahabad High Court’s decision to allow the inspection of the Mosque is a significant development in the longstanding dispute. The court has also transferred two new suits concerning the dispute to itself and directed the District Judge in Mathura to provide notice to the relevant parties about the transfer.

The decision, made by Justice Mayank Kumar Jain, comes in response to an application filed by the deity Bhagwan Shri Krishna Virajman and seven others. This application is part of an original suit pending in the court and claims that Lord Sri Krishna’s birthplace lies beneath the mosque. The application also notes that there are visible signs of the Mosque being a Hindu temple, including a lotus-shaped pillar and an image of Sheshnaag, a Hindu deity associated with Lord Krishna.

As a result, the appointment of a commission was deemed essential. The suit also seeks a declaration that the land in dispute, including the area where the Shahi Idgah Mosque is located, belongs to the deity Lord Shree Krishna Virajman. It further requests a direction to the defendants, including the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, to remove the mosque. (With agency inputs)