Gyanvapai mosque

Gyanvapi Case: Verdict On Shivling Carbon Dating Defers Till Oct 11

The Varanasi court on Friday deferred to October 11 the hearing on the Hindu side’s plea seeking carbon dating/scientific investigation of the structure found inside the Gyanvapi Mosque which they claimed to be a ‘Shivling’.

The Anjuman Intezamia Committee’s arguments will be heard by the Varanasi court on October 11 and thereafter, the court will pronounce its order on the matter.
Speaking to media persons, Advocate Vishnu Jain, representing the Hindu side in the Gyanvapi case said, “The court asked us to clarify on two points whether the structure found inside Gyanvapi Masjid is part of this suit property or not? Second, can the court issue a commission for scientific inquiry? We have submitted our reply.”

Advocate Jain further said that the Muslim side has sought some time to reply. The matter will now be heard on October 11.

The bench of Varanasi District Judge Ajay Krishna Vishwesh delivered the order.

“We said that it is part of our suit property and by virtue of Order 26 Rule 10A of CPC, the Court has the power to direct scientific investigation. Muslim side has sought some time to reply. The matter will now be heard on October 11,” he added.

Earlier on September 29, the court had reserved the order in the Gyanvapi Mosque-Shringar Gauri case after hearing both sides’ arguments.

The Hindu side had claimed that a ‘Shivling’ was found in the premises near the ‘wazukhana’ during the videography survey of the mosque premises, which was ordered by the court. However, the Muslim side said that the structure found was a ‘fountain’. The Hindu side had then submitted an application on September 22 that sought a carbon dating of the object they claimed to be ‘Shivling’.

Carbon dating is a scientific process that ascertains the age of an archaeological object or archaeological finds.

Besides this case, two more cases that could not be heard on Thursday due to the holiday will be heard today. First, pertaining to the demand from the court to worship the Shivling found in Gyanvapi, a case filed on behalf of Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwarananda.

The second is in connection with the case demanding to hand over the ‘Shivling’ site found in Gyanvapi to the Hindus. Hearing on both applications is to be held in the court of Senior Civil Judge Kumudlata Tripathi today.

Earlier on September 29, the Hindu side demanded a scientific investigation of the ‘Shivling’ by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the carbon dating of ‘Argha’ and the area around it.

Earlier, an appeal had been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the order of the Allahabad High Court which had dismissed a PIL that sought the appointment of a committee/commission under a judge to study the nature of the structure found in the Gyanvapi Mosque, Varanasi.

The appeal filed by seven devotees sought direction from the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to ascertain the nature of the structure found on the Gyanvapi campus.

The Allahabad High Court had on July 19 dismissed their plea seeking the appointment of a committee/commission headed by a judge of the High Court or supreme court (sitting/retired) to study the nature of the structure found in the Gyanvapi Mosque.

The PIL moved before the High Court seeks direction from a committee to ascertain whether a Shivalinga, as claimed by the Hindus, had been found inside the mosque or if it is a fountain as claimed by Muslims.

The appeal in the top court stated that the Allahabad High Court had erred in dismissing the plea.

On May 20, the Supreme Court ordered the transfer of the case related to worship at Gyanvapi mosque from the civil judge to the District Judge, Varanasi.

Earlier on September 12, the Varanasi Court had dismissed a plea of the Anjuman Islamia Masjid committee challenging the maintainability of the suit filed by five Hindu women seeking worshipping rights in the Gyanvapi mosque compound. (ANI)

Read More:http://13.232.95.176/

Advocate in Gyanvapi case

Court Must Settle Gyanvapi Dispute Once And For All

Sudhir Tripathi, the advocate representing the women plaintiffs in the Gyanvapi Mosque case, responds to the views of Mufti-e-Shahar, Banaras, Maulana Abdul Nomani

Gyanvapi mosque case is a long running dispute. There have been claims and counterclaims about the structure between Hindus and Muslims. However, there is no dispute among historians that it was built on the site where a temple existed. Currently, at the centre of the controversy is the videography survey which showed a stone structure, which Hindus say is a Shivling and Muslims say is a fountain.

A law of court works on the principle of viable evidences, backed by science. Therefore, our stand is that a carbon-dating of the stone structure be done to establish its age. This is a simple solution. If the structure is a fountain then why are the defendants uncomfortable with its carbon dating?

TheMufti-e-Shahar, Banaras Maulana Abdul Batin Nomani has commented on your website that he has complete faith in judiciary. But he has been contradicting his own stand from day one. First, he claimed that the case is not maintainable and is bound to be dismissed but later he said he will challenge the order of the Varanasi district court in the Allahabad High Court.

It is clear why he is in a dilemma. On one hand, he is calling upon the ‘people of Benaras’ (read Muslims) to abide by the law but one the other hand he says the final verdict will be in the court of the Almighty.

ALSO READ: ‘People Want Political Mileage From Gyanvapi Case’

The Hindu petitioners have demanded for Pooja (prayers), Darshan (sighting), and Sanrakshan (protection) of the Shivling and to substantiate our claims they are ready for a carbon dating of the structure. If it’s a fountain, I plead the defendants to please come up with proofs like its water inlet, design, etc. Let us use scientific methods to verify our claims. There are numerous pieces of evidence like the holy Trishul (trident) or mantras and shlokas inscribed on the walls, which clearly back our demand.

The last prayers were offered in 1991 and since then our deity is locked behind the doors and a huge battery of security personnel has been put on guard. A videography survey has been conducted earlier this year and we are quite confident of its outcome.

The devotees only want to offer prayers to Shringar Gauri which stands on the compound of the disputed Gyanvapi complex as they used to until 1991 and for that, we are moving in the right direction.

If the excesses of the past can be rectified in a harmonious, lawful manner, it will only go to strengthen the communal amity in Benaras. Our history books clearly state that the Gyanvapi Mosque complex was built over the ruins of the desecrated old Shiva Temple by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. There is disagreement over the reason for destruction of the temple but not about the act.

Even today, parts of this ancient temple are clearly visible on the outer walls of the mosque. From afar, the statues of the bull Nandi and Maa Shringar Gauri can be seen. We don’t want to get involved in any kind of petty disputes as the issue is been unnecessarily politicized for decades and curtains should fall on it once and for all.

As told to Rajat Rai

Weekly Update: Sidhu Finds A New Role & Address; Prithviraj’s Identity Crisis; A Hidden Idol

Navjot Sidhu, a maverick, has hopped around many roles but hopping into jail was not the one he probably scripted for himself. Sometimes events and ‘Qudrat’ sabotage the best of plans. Sidhu first became a great cricketer, starting his rise in 1981 to dizzy heights in international arena. Sixter Sidhu was his nickname as he had a habit of hitting sixers. But even that was not uneventful. Sometimes he swore and got himself kicked out and sometimes he just walked out as he did in the match against England. Yet, his talent always got him back. Finally the sixes ran out and he retired in 1999. Not for him to the idea of buying a farm, raising chicken or growing rice.

Sidhu joined media as a commentator, then as a comedian and even acted in a film or so. He became famous for his one liners. He hopped around various stations as his tongue got the better of him at times, getting him the odd sack. Stations had to drop him, only for him to surface in a different station and finally back to the one that booted him. His talent at laughing at his own jokes before anyone else even got it, was infectious. Everyone laughed and his bank balance also laughed.

Then he started hopping in politics. First it was BJP, then independent, then Congress and he was even wooing Aam Aadmi. Perhaps he was too big or hot or a loose cannon for the control-obsessed Kejriwal to handle. In Congress he created enough entertainment to be a constant headliner in the media, a media sixter if any. Finally he was bowled out from political stardom in 2022 when a relatively unknown grabbed his Amritsar seat. Qudrat again!

Still groping around for a role after his political demise, the esteemed judges of Supreme Court obliged him with one. They gave him the title of prisoner number 137683 in Barrack no 10 of Patiala jail for a year! That was one role Sidhu had probably never expected he had a talent for, but all signs are he is playing well. He doesn’t like the paani dal (hot water with a sprinkle of masala) containing six peas and a potato slice served with crusting roti. So he has gone hungry and still grabbing the headlines.

Sidhu landed with this role because Supreme Court decided to hear a case from 1988 after a few decades. It finally came up for a final hearing in 2022 at the Supreme Court. Voyager 1, the space craft launched in 1977 reached interstellar space in 2012. So the Indian judicial system, known for its ‘justice in eternity’ has just about beaten the space mission by a year (77-2012 =35 years: 1988-2022= 34 years) and Sidhu should be grateful that our SC is faster than space travel.

Sidhu got the sentence for his slightly lesser known talent. That of landing a hard punch. In 1988, in a road rage incident he is accused to have punched a 60-year old man. The fist blow caused death.

There are going to be a lot of headlines with Sidhu tantrums in Patiala Jail. But he has company with Bikramjit, his political adversary. If he is lucky and Bhagwant Mann gets around to it, he might be joined by a few more political celebrities, possibly from Akali Dal and Congress.

Identity Crisis For Prithviraj!

As the common Indian is trying to take cover from searing heat and eating a reasonable meal a day against rising fuel and food prices, there are still parts of the nation where even more important issues such as attempts to get to the one place where a certain group will get access to God and what caste was Prithviraj Chauhan.

Religion and caste is never further than micromillimeter in Indian politics. However times slogans of unity, one nation, ekta etc. are promoted by Governments, the people have a habit of blowing up in identity politics. The very political class that doesn’t want this, also joins in.

Heat, inflation and climate change are miniscule problems compared to the caste and religion conflicts. After all they have been going on for thousands of years in India, whereas climate change issues are only a few decades old, without a pedigree.

Prithviraj Chauhan was a King in twelfth century. His last war is said to be with Muhammed Ghori. Ghori defeated him and paved the way for Islamic rule in India. He is called the last Hindu king, although others dispute that as Hindu kings continued to flourish in south India and parts of North India.

Bollywood is making a film. Chauhan is a subject that draws in box office money. Nothing wrong with that. No one is fighting over or complaining about the money.

But it is what Chauhan is being depicted as that has started another war, albeit peaceful at the moment. No it’s not something as trivial as depicting him as ‘Last Hindu King’. It’s far more important.

Chauhan has been claimed to be a Rajput. The Gurjars don’t agree. They say he was a Gurjar. The film maker is lost.

Rajputs have a national body. In fact it is an activist movement called ‘Karni Sena’ or more precisely Shri Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena. In 2017 the Karni Sena even threatened to cut off Deepika Padukone’s nose for her role in Padmavaat. It became famously infamous when it started protesting against Jodha Akbar film in 2008.  That move ended with Rajasthanis having to take a bus to Gujrat to see the film.

Now the Sena wants the title Samrat and surname Chauhan to be used. They want him to be referred as Samrat Prithviraj Chauhan. They are threatening to gherao theatres around the country if film maker does not oblige.

The film maker who only wants to make a few crore rupees, doesn’t want to upset the Rajputs or the Gurjars. The title Samrat and surname Chauhan are not being used much to the annoyance of the offended Rajputs.

The Gurjars, have their own national movement called the Akhil Bharatiya Veer Gurjar Mahasabha. They don’t want word Chauhan used. They say that Prithviraj was a Gurjar and has been historically kidnapped or hisnapped (our word from history and kidnapped) by the Rajputs.

They have told whoever wants to listen, that they too have a presence from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. They can disrupt the film and stop it in all the states of India. They have filed some sort of a case. That’s a few crores gone down the drain for the producer.

The only redeeming fact is that both groups are resorting to peaceful tactics such as protests and courts, instead of a spears and talwars as would have happened at one time.

Murti In The Mosque?

In Varanasi, on the other hand, a group of women have also gone to court inspired by the BJP game of claiming every other religion’s holy place as a a building built over a hidden ‘murti’.

In this case the murti exists. It is in the territory of a Mosque. It’s probably been there for few centuries. However the women claim that they must be allowed to ‘worship’ or do puja there. Perhaps their call to the murti won’t be heard if it is in another place.

Looking on the bright side, ‘life never changes in India even for centuries’.

‘No Communal Discord in Kashi, But Truth Must Come Out’

Dinesh Dubey, a mahant in Varanasi, says pushing the truth in the Gyanvapi mosque case under the carpet may have adverse impact in the long run

I have been serving Ma Ganga since childhood on the Ghats of Varanasi and also the devotees who come to pray at the temples of this sacred Hindu city. Kashi residents are spiritual and charitable. And you cannot find even the slightest discrimination or ill-will among Hindus and Muslims here.

As far as the Gyanvapi mosque issue is there, even a young child here knows that it is a 350 year old structure built after razing down parts of the Vishweshwar temple devoted to Lord Shiva. But this has not spoiled the togetherness of its people. It was only recently that a survey by archaeologists was conducted in the mosque and we hear that some Hindu relics and a Shivling have been discovered there.

The matter is subjudice, so it is not upon me to tell you what to do. But the common sense says that if an object of value is found somewhere, it must be returned to its rightful owner. Therefore, if Hindu relics are found in a mosque, these should be given to Hindus. Where is the role of Court-Kachehari in this?

Many Hindu holy structures were brought down in our chequered history. Now, if there is archaeological evidence that a structure belongs to Hindus, there is no harm in reclaiming it. This happened in Ayodhya, although at the intervention of Supreme Court.

ALSO READ: Varanasi An Icon Of Harmony, Don’t Destroy Over A Shivling

Hindus and Muslims of Varanasi are tolerant and peace-loving people. However, of late a misconception is being spread that something unpleasant is going to happen in Varanasi. The media also has a major role in spoiling the harmony. Special episodes are being run on TV channels that have created an atmosphere of fear.

If you try to hide the truth, it will naturally give grist to the rumour mill. That is why I feel allow the truth about religious relics found in the mosque be brought into public domain. Brushing the truth under the carpet will only create distrust among the Kashi residents.

About 600 meters of the Gyanvapi mosque site, which has other temples also, has been cordoned off. This barricading has affected the footfalls of visitors in Varanasi. Devotees from south India usually throng Kashi in summer months every year. However, the numbers have gone down visibly. People are asking among each other anxiously when things will be ‘normal’.

We, locals, do not want any kind of dispute. We have been living in harmony for centuries and pray to Lord Siva. Let truth prevail and let everyone live a peaceful life and witness the development of Bharatvarsha!

As told to Rajat Rai

‘Varanasi An Icon Of Harmony, Don’t Destroy It Over A Shivling’

Suresh K Nair, an Asst Professor at Banaras Hindu University, tells LokMarg that Gyanvapi Mosque controversy is a non-issue raked up by vested interests

Ever since I have been teaching in this great city of Varanasi, I have found that this is indeed a peaceful and beautiful place. People are living here in great harmony and across all caste and communities. You can feel the harmony and vibrations on the streets and gullies of this ancient city where so many currents have passed by, leaving their mark.

I believe that all religions are meant to promote peace, humanism and harmony. And Varanasi is an epitome of this universal spiritual principle. This Gyanvapi Mosque controversy which certain vested interests have yet again raked up for reasons which are too brazenly transparent, is a non-issue – period.

Varanasi transcends these petty non-issues with its great history of secular pluralism and aesthetic ethos. People here are essentially broad-minded. The harmony that seems to be missing now, is a jarring. No government before this has promoted this kind of social disharmony – no government.

Nair (inset) calls Varanasi an Open Museum of pluralism and heritage

In the first instance, the government must not engage in any religious activity whatsoever. If it does so, then it should fund and restore the architectural and artistic heritage across the religious kaleidoscope – it can be a temple, a mosque or a monastery. If the government supports temples, then it should support masjids and churches too. Why only promote and protect Hindu temples?

ALSO READ: ‘Religious Gurus Must Foster Harmony, Not Discord’

Varanasi is an Open Museum. It is a real art gallery of global importance with its magical, archival memories, narratives, folk and oral traditions, art and architecture, music, poetry, literature and song.  And why only its temples and mosques, its lanes, by-lanes, ghats and public spaces, they are all precious heritage sites, and they should all be preserved.

Now, if they are fiddling with the lanes, by-lanes and the geographical inheritance of this wonderful city, then it is ethically wrong – you just cannot and should not tamper with the original template of the city which has evolved over the centuries. The gullies and ghats are the original geographical zones of inherited cultural harmony and artistic traditions. It is outright wrong to play with this established essence.

Back home in Kerala, I once did a project on a Namboodiri Brahmin who was so progressive that he backed the Muslims. The British did not like it. And, yet, he continued this progressive tradition. Religions should stand for peace.

In any case, human lives are ephemeral. All governments are ephemeral. The power too is ephemeral. Even the great Ganga changes its routes and finds new geographies. As a creative and visual artist, and as a teacher, I firmly believe that rigidity will just not work. In this city of Bismillah Khan’s brilliance, let the incredible and magical harmony of cultural brilliance prevail. The river teaches us exactly that.

As told to Amit Sengupta