On Tuesday, July 11, the Supreme Court postponed the hearing of the application related to the Gynvapi structure in Varanasi and directed the Muslim side to file their response in the case. During the hearing, the bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha, and Justice Manoj Mishra said that the response of the Muslim side to the petition is awaited.
This is a day after the Hindu parties in its affidavit informed the Supreme Court that calling the Shivling discovered within the Varanasi Gyanvapi complex a “fountain” amounted to demeaning it and that a scientific investigation of the Shivling should be carried out to end the controversy.
The Hindu side on Monday, July 10 also said that the Shivalingam is a matter of faith and worship for Hindus not only in India but across the world. That’s why they have a fundamental right to worship the deity. It was further stated that experts’ opinion is needed to ascertain whether the ‘structure’ found in Gyanvapi during the survey last year is a fountain or a Shivling. It was demanded that a panel of ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) should get it investigated.
The ‘Wazu’ area of the Gyanvapi mosque is the centre of the Gyanvapi mosque-Kashi Vishwanath temple dispute between Hindus and Muslims since the Hindu parties assert that ‘Shivling’ has been found in that spot, however, the Muslim side disputed the same and claim that it is only a water fountain.
Supreme Court stays scientific investigation of Gyanvapi Shivling
The Supreme Court had in May this year ordered to hold the scientific investigation of the Shivling inside the Varanasi Gyanvapi complex, a week after the Allahabad High Court ordered the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a scientific study of the Shivling to determine its age.
The order was made following a special leave petition filed by the Anjuman Islamia Masjid committee, which looks after the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi, against the Allahabad High Court’s order on May 12 that ordered the scientific survey of the Shivlinga to determine its age. The bench that made the decision included Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha, and Justice IN Viswanathan.
On May 12, the Allahabad High Court ordered the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to use contemporary scientific methods to inspect the Shiving that has been discovered inside the Gyanvapi Mosque premises in Varanasi in order to determine its age.
The order was passed by the bench of Justice Arvind Kumar Mishra-I while allowing a revision plea moved by 4 women Hindu worshippers challenging the Varanasi Court’s October 14 order wherein the court had rejected their plea.
A request for a scientific investigation of the Shivling was filed previously before the Varanasi Court in September 2022, but it was denied in light of the Supreme Court’s decision to safeguard the location where the Shiva Linga was allegedly discovered on May 17, 2022.
The Hindu parties had requested a survey of the entire Gyanvapi mosque premises by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to determine whether the mosque had been built over an earlier structure of the Hindu temple. On May 16, the Varanasi District Court granted the committee until May 19 to file their reply or objection, if any.
At present, the Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice PS Narasimha, and Justice Manoj Mishra asked the Muslim side to file their reply to the petition and postponed the hearing as of today.
