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NATION                                                            FEBRUARY 09, 2024        |  The Indian Eye                    8


         Varanasi temple: Hindus perform puja in the



          cellar of Gyanvapi Mosque after court order





           The developments come at a time when the Muslim side, led by the Anjum Intejamia committee,
                                approached the Allahabad High Court to challenge the decision



        OUR BUREAU
        Varanasi/New Delhi/Lucknow
           n a dramatic development on
           Thursday, after the Varanasi
        ICourt allowed Hindus to worship
        inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex,
        devotees flocked to the ‘Vyas ka Teh-
        khana’ inside the complex in Varanasi
        to offer prayers. A Varanasi Court on
        Wednesday allowed Hindu devotees
        to offer prayers inside the ‘Vyas Ka
        Tehkhana’ area inside the Gyanvapi
        mosque complex.
            After the Varanasi Court allowed
        the Hindu devotees to worship in-
        side the Gyanvapi mosque complex,
        the barricades of Vyas Ka Tehkha-
        na (basement) of the mosque were
        opened, and daily arti and puja were
        performed early in the morning on
        Thursday.
            The mosque has four ‘tahkhanas’
        (cellars) in the basement, of which   A priest offers prayers at ‘Vyas Ji Ki Tehkhana’ after the Varanasi Court’s judgement to allow Hindu devotees to worship inside the sealed base-
        one  is  still in the possession  of  the
        Vyas family, who used to live there.                        ment of the Gyanvapi mosque complex, in Varanasi on Thursday (ANI)
        According to  Vishnu Shankar Jain,
        the  Hindu side  lawyer, Mangla  Arti   ministration to make the necessary ar-  at the Gyanvapi mosque complex,   complex, following the Archaeolog-
        was performed at 3:30 in the morning   rangements within the next seven days.  Kashi Vishwanath Trust President Na-  ical Survey of India’s survey findings
        and bhog was done at 12 p.m. “Tim-    Meanwhile, Jitendra Nath Vyas   gendra Pandey on Wednesday said that   at the mosque. The ‘Wazukhana’ was
        ings for Aarti at Vyas cellar. Daily 5   a member of the Vyas family who has   today’s decision raises hopes that one   sealed in 2022 following a Supreme
        aarti  --Mangla-  3:30  am,  Bhog-  12   been allowed to offer prayers inside   day the entire complex will be Hindu.  Court order.
        pm, Apranh- 4 pm, Sanykaal- 7 pm,   the mosque located adjacent to the   In view of today’s decision given   In its plea filed by Vishnu Shan-
        Shayan- 10:30 pm. 2 done so far,” Jain   Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi   by the Varanasi district court, Pandey   kar Jain, the Hindu side advocate has
        said in a post on X.              said he was very happy to pray at the   distributed sweets among his family   asked the top court to allow the Ar-
            The court had asked the district   Tehkhana again. “We are very happy   members and congratulated every-  chaeological Survey of India (ASI) to
        administration to make the necessary   that we have got the permission to re-  one. “Today’s decision raises hopes   carry out another comprehensive sur-
        arrangements within the next seven   sume puja there,” he said.     that one day the entire complex will   vey in the ‘wazukhana’ area without
        days. The developments come at a time   The Vyas family member said that   be ours. After today’s court order, we   harming the ‘Shivling’.
        when the Muslim side, led by the An-  he along with priests performed puja   will talk to the district administration   The survey of the Gyanvapi
        jum Intejamia committee, approached   in the basement in the presence of dis-  tomorrow,” Pandey said.  mosque premises began after the Al-
        the Allahabad High Court to chal-  trict officials. “At the time of the puja,   He said that earlier, prayers were   lahabad High Court rejected the peti-
        lenge the Varanasi Court’s decision.   five priests of the (Kashi Vishwanath)   offered at the ‘Vyas Ka Tekhana’ area   tion filed by Muslim litigants seeking a
        The Hindu side has filed a caveat be-  temple trust, members of the Vyas   inside  the  Gyanvapi  mosque  com-  stay on the Varanasi court’s order for
        fore the High Court, demanding that   family,  Varanasi  DM  and  Commis-  plex. “Earlier prayers were offered   a scientific survey by the ASI.
        it be heard before the plea is taken up.  sioner were present there,” he said.  at the ‘Vyas Ka Tekhana’ area. There   ASI, during the survey, started on
            Muslim side lawyer Akhlaq         The developments come at a time   are enough priests in the Vishwanath   August 4, used ground-penetrating ra-
        Ahmed said, “The order has over-  when the Muslim side led by the An-  temple; among them, any five will be   dar and other scientific instruments to
        looked the Advocate Commissioner   jum Intejamia committee approached   assigned to offer puja in the Gyanvapi   ascertain what lay beneath the surface
        report of 2022, ASI’s report, and the   the Allahabad High Court to chal-  mosque complex. They will perform   of the Gyanvapi mosque premises.
        decision of 1937, which was in our fa-  lenge the Varanasi Court’s decision.   ‘aarti’ and offer ‘bhog prasad’,” Pan-  The team also surveyed the inner
        vor. The Hindu side has not provided   The Hindu side has filed a caveat be-  dey said.               and outer walls, the cellar and oth-
        any evidence that prayers were held   fore the High court demanding that it   Meanwhile, the Hindu side on   er parts of the premises barring the
        before 1993. There is no such idol in   be heard before the plea is taken up.  Monday filed an application in the Su-  ‘wazukhana’ (the place where Mus-
        the place.”                           After the Varanasi district court   preme Court seeking the de-sealing of   lims perform ablution before pro-
            The court had asked the district ad-  allowed the Hindu side to offer prayers   the ‘wazukhana’ area in the Gyanvapi   ceeding to offer prayers).


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