ASI Begins Scientific Survey Of Gyanvapi Mosque Complex In Varanasi Amid Tight Security

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) began scientific survey of Gyanvapi mosque located adjacent to Kashi Vishwanath temple in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi on Monday.

ASI team has arrived at the site to conduct a scientific survey to determine if the Gyanvapi mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple is built upon a temple.

District judge A K Vishvesh on Friday directed the ASI to conduct a detailed scientific survey -- including excavations, wherever necessary -- to determine if the mosque in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh is built upon a temple.

The mosque's 'wazukhana', where a structure claimed by Hindu litigants to be a 'shivling' exists, will not be part of the survey, following an earlier Supreme Court order protecting that spot in the complex.

The judge directed the ASI to submit a report to the court by August 4, along with videos and photographs of survey proceedings.

Earlier, a court in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi had allowed for the scientific survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex by the ASI. The order comes on the petition by Hindu devotees.

The various petitions related to the Gyanvapi complex stem from an initial petition filed by five Hindu devotees in August 2021, which sought rights to pray daily before Hindu idols on the outer walls of Gyanvapi Mosque. In the hearing of the petition, a videography survey was ordered. During the survey, the 'Shivling' was found close to the 'wazookhana' -ablution pond- in the mosque.

The Muslim side had opposed the plea, saying an ASI survey could damage the complex.

In the plea on the ASI survey, the arguments were heard on July 14 and the order was reserved for July 21 (Friday).