Varanasi Court Allows ASI Survey Of Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi Mosque Complex, UP Govt To Bear The Cost

In a major development, the district court of Varanasi has given approval for the survey of Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi Mosque complex by the Archaeological Survey of India

The order came on a petition filed by a local lawyer VS Rastogi who had demanded the restoration of the land entailing Gyanvapi Mosque to Hindus. The Gyanvyapi Mosque management committee had opposed the petition.

The Gyanvapi Mosque, which adjoined the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, was built by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1669 after allegedly demolishing a Hindu temple.

Hindus claim that the original Vishwanath Temple existed on the site of the alleged demolition. An application was filed by Hindus in the Varanasi district court in 1991 seeking ownership of the disputed site. The Muslim side is also a party in the case.