Gyanvyapi survey: GPR tech can detect if any structure is buried under mosque, says fmr ASI official

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

GPR) technology being used in the ongoing scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex can detect if any structure is buried beneath the mosque. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Saturday resumed its scientific survey work at the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh to determine whether the 17th-century mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple. Former additional director general of the ASI B R Mani said radar technology or ground penetrating radar (GPR) technology involves certain types of equipment. «These equipment are kept on the ground and electromagnetic waves or pulses are sent on the sub-surface level below the ground. These pulses come in contact with any anomaly like bricks, sand, stone, and metals and it is recorded on a monitor,» said Mani, who is the Director General of the National Museum here. «Experts study it and make the alignment after which they get to know if there is anything solid present beneath the ground,» he said.

ASI conducts scientific survey of Gyanvapi mosque complex for 2nd day

ASI survey to resume after Friday prayers at Gyanvapi mosque complex

SC declines to stay ASI's survey of Gyanvapi mosque

«If this survey (using GPR technology) is done in Gyanvapi, it will be possible to find out if any structure is buried under the mosque and what kind of structure it is,» he added. Mani said the GPR technology must be used under expert supervision. Talking about carbon dating, Mani said, it is used in case of organic samples like wood or bones which have traces of carbon-14 and are not contaminated. «They are carefully collected and sent to the lab,»