Gyanvapi row: ASI team begins scientific survey of mosque complex in UP's Varanasi

Pic/PTI

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) began working on a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi premises in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi on Friday to determine whether the 17th-century mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple, reported news agency PTI.

The survey began at around 7 am, ASI sources told PTI.

The ASI team members, along with the representatives of the Hindu petitioners to a legal dispute involving the mosque, were present inside the complex under watertight security arrangements, reported PTI.

The members of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid committee have boycotted the survey. The representatives of the committee who were to accompany the ASI team for the survey abstained from doing so.

Allahabad High Court on Thursday allowed the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a survey of the Allahabad High Court dismissed Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee's plea, challenging the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey of the mosque complex, adjacent to Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi.

The order came after the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid committee, representing the Muslim side to the legal dispute, moved the Supreme Court against the Varansi district court order. The mosque stands next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

"All people (including ASI officials) have reached there. The survey has started. We are also going inside," Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi, Advocate representing the Hindu side on the Gyanvapi case told ANI.

The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee had challenged the Varanasi District Judge's July 21 order.

On July 21, Varanasi district judge AK Vishvesha ordered the ASI survey of the Gyanvapi complex on an application moved by four Hindu women on May 16, 2023.

The order of the district judge, however, excluded the Wuzu Khana (ablution pond area) of the complex, which has been sealed on the order of the top court.

Earlier, the Allahabad High Court asked the ASI to not start the survey of Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi as the hearing on the matter was underway after Supreme Court put on hold till 5 pm July 26 a detailed scientific survey by the ASI to determine if the mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi was built upon a temple.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)