Varanasi Court Allows Hindus To Worship At Gyanvapi Complex Basement After Gap Of 30 Years, Puja To Begin In Seven Days

The Hindu petitioners in the Gyanvapi complex dispute have something to celebrate as the Varanasi Court on Wednesday (31 January) allowed them to offer prayers at the disputed structure's basement.

Law Today reported that Hindu pujas will begin within seven days from now at 10 sealed cellars under the mosque structure. The district administration has been directed to make the arrangements.

The responsibility for organising puja is of Kashi Vishwanath Trust Board as per Aaj Tak. This marks the resumption of Hindu worshipping at the place after over 30 years as it had stopped since November 1993.

Shailendra Kumar Pathak's plea seeking the right to worship at the disputed site was heard by the Varanasi district court yesterday and the judgment was pronounced today.

Citing the Places of Worship Act, the Muslim side had demanded the dismissal of the plea. However, the court granted permission to worship at the cellars which is under district administration's control since 17 January.

The decision comes after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) found 55 Hindu deity stone sculptures including 15 “Shiva linga”, three sculptures of “Vishnu”, three of “Ganesha”, two of “Nandi”, two of “Krishna”, and and five of “Hanuman”, in its scientific study of the site.

Earlier, the Wazukhana area of the Gyanvapi complex was done under strict security measures on the Supreme Court's order. It's the Wazukhana area only where the 'Shivling' was discovered according to the Hindu side.