'Have patience…': Hindu side as ASI's Gyanvapi mosque survey in Varanasi underway. Top updates
Lawyers said the primary stage of the court-ordered survey of Gyanvapi mosque has been finished and secondary stage was underway with “machines”.
A team of 55 members from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) resumed the scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex on Sunday morning to determine if the 17th-century masjid was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple. A heavy police force was also deployed in the area before the arrival of the ASI team.
Lawyers said that the primary stage of the court-ordered survey of the Gyanvapi complex has been finished and the secondary stage was underway with “machines” including radars.
The survey was halted at 12.30pm for two hours as Muslim devotees will offer prayers in the mosque.
Top updates on the Gyanvapi mosque complex survey by ASI:
1. Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain and advocate Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi, representing the Hindu side in the Gyanvapi case, are present in the survey.
2."Have patience. It is the fourth day of the survey. The ASI is doing its work in a very fine way. Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) was used yesterday. The ground penetrating radar machine will be used for survey in the coming time," said Jain said. "We are satisfied with the survey and the Muslim side has no complaints and they also cooperating," he added.
3. The scientific survey of the complex, adjacent to Kashi Vishwanath Temple, excluding Wuzu Khana, resumed on Friday, following Allahabad high court's order, which allowed the ASI to conduct the survey, to determine if the mosque was built on a pre-existing temple.
4. Plaintiff number 1 Rakhi Singh's advocate Anupam Dwivedi said, "This ASI survey is different from that was done by advocate commissioner last year (in May 2022). In that survey, whatever was visible was mentioned in the report. No one was allowed to touch anything. The ASI team is doing the survey in a scientific manner. The team is collecting evidence, without any digging and without causing any harm".
5. On Sunday, the ASI team is likely to conduct the survey under the domes of the mosque premises. At present, the survey was going on in the south basement of Gyanvapi where the team conducted the survey on Saturday afternoon.
6. Earlier on Saturday, Sudhir Tripathi, another advocate representing the Hindu side, said that the scientific survey will clear everything. "We want people to cooperate in the survey and get it completed as soon as possible. We are showing full cooperation and involvement. They have come at the direction of the Supreme Court. We welcome it. We want the matter to be resolved soon. The survey will clarify everything," the lawyer said.
7. The Allahabad High Court on Thursday dismissed the plea filed by the Muslim party, Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, challenging the Varanasi court order allowing the ASI to conduct a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises, except the 'Wazukhana' area where a “Shivling” was claimed to have been found last year. The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee had challenged the Varanasi District Judge's July 21 order.
8. On July 21, Varanasi district judge AK Vishvesha ordered the ASI survey of the Gyanvapi complex on an application moved by four Hindu women on May 16. The order of the district judge, however, excluded the Wuzu Khana (ablution pond area) of the complex, which has been sealed on the order of the Supreme Court.
9. Earlier on Friday, the Supreme Court declined to stay the ASI survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises in Varanasi.
10. The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee had challenged the high court order allowing ASI to conduct a scientific survey by ASI of the Gyanvapi mosque premises.
(With inputs from agencies)
