Next hearing in Gyanvapi case on Oct 21

New Delhi, Oct 17: The next hearing on the Gyanvapi Shrinagar Gauri dispute case at Varanasi District Court in Uttar Pradesh will be on October 21st, according to news agency ANI.

The court on Monday asked the parties concerned to ensure status quo with regard to the mosque until then.

Local Hindu activists T A Dhananjaya and few others had moved the court stating that a temple-like structure was found during the renovation of the mosque. The court, which heard both the sides, had reserved its verdict. The matter has been now posted to November 9.

The Gyanvapi mosque is located next to the iconic Kashi Vishwanath temple and the case in the Varanasi court has revived claims that the mosque was built on a portion of the Hindu structure demolished on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The petitioners contended that the "Shivling" found in the "wazookhana" reservoir of the mosque during survey work on May 16 was part of the case property.

Earlier, the court had rejected the Hindu side's demand seeking carbon dating and scientific investigation of the Shivling inside the Gyanvapi Mosque.

The Hindu side had sought a scientific investigation to determine the age of the Shivling. The Anjuman Masjid Committeee has however being calling the structure a fountain.

District Judge A K Vishvesha rejected the plea by the Hindu worshippers after rejecting objections of the Anjuman Intezamia Committee which manages the Mosque objecting to the plea by the Hindu side.

The plea was rejected view of the Supreme Court's order to protect the spot where the Shivling was claimed to have been found during the survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque.

The petitioners claim that the Shivling found inside the reservoir of the Mosque during the survey on May 16 was part of the property. They also demanded carbon dating and other scientific tests of the Shivling.

Carbon dating is a scientific process that ascertains the age of an archaeological object or finds.