The court yesterday sealed off the Ozukana area inside the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi, following reports that it contained a Shiva lingam. The case is set to be heard by the Supreme Court today.
The famous Kasi Vishwanathar Temple is located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The nearby Gyanvapi Mosque is said to have been built by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. In this situation, 5 women filed a case in the Varanasi court seeking permission to worship the idol of Singara Gauri Amman on the outer wall of the mosque premises 5 times a year.
The court, which heard the petition, last week ordered a field inspection with video evidence at the mosque concerned. The mosque administration has filed a petition against this, and the judges have ordered that the field survey be completed by the 17th.
Study
The inspection, which has been going on at the Gyanvapi Mosque for the past 3 days, ended yesterday. The study was attended by some lawyers and members of the public. Due to this, thousands of policemen were deployed all over the area where the mosque is located. Meanwhile, Harishankar Jain, a lawyer representing Hindu women, told the court that a Shiva lingam was found inside the mosque. Following the report that there was a Shiva lingam in the Ozukana area where the mosque was used for hand and foot washing, the judge ordered that the area be sealed.
At the same time, the judge said that only 20 people would be allowed to pray inside the mosque, adding that the district administration was responsible for the security of the area and for the deployment of the Central Security Police at the site. Meanwhile, mosque officials said the stone was a fountain found in the Osukana area.
Inquiry
Meanwhile, the Anjuman Indajamiya Committee, the mosque's administrator, had approached the Supreme Court seeking an injunction against the excavations at the Gyanwapi Mosque. The Supreme Court, which has refused to stay the proceedings, announced Tuesday that it would hear the case.
In this context, the whole of Varanasi is in turmoil today as the administration of the Gyanvapi Mosque continues to hear petitions.
The 8th Behindwoods Gold Medals Awards will be held this year at the Island Grounds in Chennai Island on May 21 and 22 from 6pm to 11.30pm. Ticket booking for this is currently underway.
Pre-booking link for show tickets. http://behindwoods.com/bgm8
OTHER NEWS SHOTS
