A COURT here on Friday directed the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a “detailed scientific survey” -– including excavations, wherever necessary -- to determine if the Gyanvapi mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple 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. District judge A K Vishvesh directed the ASI to submit a report to the court by August 4, along with videos and photographs of survey proceedings.

 

“The Director of ASI is also directed to conduct a detailed scientific investigation by using GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) survey, excavation, dating method and other modern techniques of the present structure to find out as to whether same has been constructed over a pre-existing structure of Hindu temple,” the order said. It specifically directed the use of GPR technology for survey “just below the three domes of the building in question”, and to conduct an excavation there “if required”. Hindu activists, who claim that a temple existed earlier at the site and was demolished in the 17th century on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, hailed the court order. A throng of people outside the court received the news with slogans of “Har Har Mahadev”.

 

The court had on July 14 reserved its order after hearing both the Hindu and Muslim sides. The petition filed by the Hindu group, seeking the right to regular worship of sculptures of Hindu deities on the mosque’s outer wall, had sought court directions to the ASI to survey the complex. Its counsel had said that the situation will become clear after examining the three domes of the Gyanvapi complex, the western wall and the entire complex in a modern manner. Mosque management’s counsel Mohammed Tauhid Khan said it will challenge the Varanasi court’s order. “It is not acceptable and we will move to a higher court against it. It could cause damage to the mosque,” he said.