ASI begins survey of Gyanvapi Mosque complex, except for 'Wazukhana' area
Gyanvapi mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi is built upon a temple. The team had reached Varanasi on Sunday. Advocate of the Hindu side Madan Mohan Yadav had said that an advocate each of the petitioners will accompany the survey team.
Advocate Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi representing the Hindu side said that the result of the survey will be favourable to Hindus. «We are sure that the whole premise is of temple only. The result of the survey will be favourable to us,» Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi said while speaking to reporters.
«Today the Gyanvapi survey will be conducted, it is a good thing for us...the survey will begin at 7 am, can't say how long it will go on...», said Sudhir Tripathi, advocate representing Hindu side. The Varanasi Court on Friday had pronounced its order allowing ASI survey to be conducted inside the Gyanvapi mosque premises excluding the Wazu tank, which has been sealed. District judge A K Vishvesh on Friday directed the ASI to conduct a detailed scientific survey — including excavations, wherever necessary — to determine if the mosque in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh 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 in the complex. The judge directed the ASI to submit a report to the court by August 4, along with videos and photographs of survey proceedings. A petition was filed by the Hindu side seeking direction for a “scientific survey” of the entire Gyanvapi mosque premises by the ASI.
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