Varanasi Court Allows Hindu Devotees to Worship in Gyanvapi Mosque
In a notable progression, a Varanasi court has given consent for Hindu followers to partake in adoration within the enclosed confines of the Gyanvapi mosque. This resolution specifically sanctions religious observances at ‘Vyas Ka Tekhana,’ a specified zone within the mosque. The regional authorities are assigned with organizing the requisite preparations for the followers, and the duty of appointing a clergyman for the rituals has been delegated to the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust. Vishnu Shankar Jain, the legal representative for the Hindu community, communicated to journalists that the court’s determination authorizes Hindus to conduct supplications at ‘Vyas Ka Tekhana.’ The civic administration is instructed to make organizational plans within seven days, and he underscored that this decree bestows every individual the privilege to perform puja. Â JM Pandey, a dweller of Gorakhpur and the initial judge to issue the unsealing of the Ram Mandir for worship, fulfilled a pivotal function in this decision. Â Articulating dissatisfaction with the court’s judgment, Maulana Khalid Rasheed, the leader of the Islamic Centre of India, remarked that the option to appeal to a superior court remains accessible. Conversely, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) ardently accepted the court’s determination, affirming that it reinstates Hindus’ jurisdiction to engage in worship at Gyanvapi. This court directive succeeds a plea submitted by four female litigants in the Supreme Court, urging excavation and scrutiny of the sealed section of the mosque. The plea was incited by a report from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), indicating the presence of a substantial Hindu temple before the construction of the Gyanvapi mosque. The litigants contended that the essence of the ‘Shivling’ could be precisely perceived through excavation and scientific methodologies, revealing its significance.