Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi
Prayagraj: Allahabad High Court on Tuesday fixed Nov 30 as the next date of hearing in a petition seeking an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey of the wuzukhana (ablution pond) area of Gyanvapi mosque, excluding the disputed structure that the Hindu side claims is a Shivling and the Muslim side describes as a fountain. Taking note of the submissions, Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal fixed Nov 30 for the next hearing. The petition challenges an order passed by a Varanasi district judge on Oct 21, 2023, refusing to direct ASI to conduct a survey of the wuzukhana area while excluding the disputed structure located inside Gyanvapi mosque complex adjacent to Kashi Vishwanath temple.
When the matter came up for hearing, counsel for the parties informed the court that the issue was still under consideration before Supreme Court and that the interim order passed by the apex court continued to operate. The matter is being heard on a civil revision petition filed by Rakhi Singh, one of the plaintiffs in the original suit before Varanasi court.