New Delhi: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Thursday, July 23, a plea filed by the Hindu side seeking permission to offer prayers at the alleged Shivling located in the sealed area of the Gyanvapi premises during the holy month of Sawan.
The apex court will take up fresh petitions moved by the Hindu side requesting permission to conduct worship and Jalabhishek of the alleged Shivling situated inside the sealed wuzukhana area of the Gyanvapi mosque complex.
The area has remained sealed since 2022 in compliance with an interim order passed by the Supreme Court.
The Hindu side has informed the court that it is prepared to fully comply with any conditions imposed by the judiciary, including all security-related arrangements, while seeking permission to perform the religious rituals. The disputed structure, claimed by the Hindu side to be a Shivling, was discovered during the court-monitored survey conducted in 2022 and has remained sealed in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directions.
Earlier this month, both the Hindu and Muslim parties formally declined the Supreme Court’s proposal to resolve the dispute through mediation under its “Samadhan Samaroh” initiative, opting instead to have the matter adjudicated through the regular judicial process on its legal merits.
The Hindu side has consistently maintained that the Gyanvapi mosque was built after the demolition of a temple during the Mughal period. The Muslim side, however, maintains that the mosque is a legally recognised Waqf property and has disputed the claims put forward by the Hindu petitioners.
The dispute has witnessed several significant judicial developments over the past year. In January 2024, the Varanasi District Court permitted Hindu devotees to offer prayers in the Vyas Tehkhana, the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque complex.
Subsequently, the Allahabad High Court dismissed the appeal filed by the Gyanvapi mosque management committee challenging the district court’s order. The High Court also directed the Varanasi District Magistrate to make the necessary arrangements to facilitate the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust in conducting worship rituals at the Vyas Tehkhana in accordance with the court’s directions.
