Varanasi district court allows puja in cellar on Gyanvapi mosque premises

LUCKNOW, JAN 31: In a major turn of events, the Varanasi district court has allowed worship of deities inside the southern cellar of Gyanvapi mosque by the priests of Kashi Vishwanath temple trust here on Wednesday.

Varanasi District Court judge Dr AK Vishvesha issued this order while disposing the plea of Shailendra Kumar Pathak Vyas, the head priest of Acharya Ved Vyas Peeth temple, seeking worship of Shringar Gauri other visible and invisible deities in the cellar (Tehkhana) of Gyanvapi mosque.

The Court had already allowed appointment of receiver to take possession of the cellar on Vyas’s plea after which Varanasi District Magistrate S Rajlingam had taken over the charge southern cellar of Gyanvapi mosque on January 23, this year.

In its order, the district court of Varanasi has asked the Gyanvapi temple trust to make necessary arrangements in steel fencing around the cellar for the entry of priests to offer their prayers. The order specifies that this arrangement would be ensured within 7 days.

The court has posted the matter on February 8 for next hearing in this case. Till then defendants, including Anjuman Intezamia Masajid, the Gyanvapi mosque management committee, can file their objections.

Significantly, the Vyas family had been performing puja inside the southern cellar till 1993. The then dispensation, headed by Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, ordered the fencing of the cellar, thereby, stopping the puja.

-PTI