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Varanasi Shimmers For ‘Dev Deepawali’

By LokMarg 27th November 2023

Varanasi is gearing up for the grand celebration of ‘Dev Deepawali’ on Monday, with the city adorned in brilliant lights and decorations.

Dev Deepavali, known as “the Diwali of the Gods,” falls on the full moon of the Hindu month of Kartika, occurring fifteen days after Diwali.

The riverfront ghats of the Ganges River, from Ravidas Ghat to Rajghat, will be illuminated with over a million earthen lamps (diyas) to honour the river Ganga and its presiding goddess.

Visuals from the city showed roads, intersections and prominent spots, dazzling the light.

The festival includes a show featuring firecrackers, lasers, and music under the moonlit sky, accompanied by a green aerial firecracker display.

According to an official release from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), a garland of lamps will be decorated on the crescent-shaped Ganga Ghats of Kashi.

“Tourists will be able to enjoy a show of firecrackers, lasers and music under the moonlit sky. A show of green fireworks will also cover the sky while tunes and hymns of Shiva play in the background,” said the release.

A green aerial firecracker show will be organised on the sand in front of the Ganga gate of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham. To make Dev Diwali divine and grand, the Yogi government is also organising a laser and crackers show, along with the illumination of the ghats with 12 lakh lamps, the release said.

The festivities will also feature a green aerial firecracker show lasting approximately 13 minutes, enhancing the divine and grandeur of Dev Diwali in Varanasi. Over 7 to 8 lakh devotees are expected to attend this year, and strict security arrangements are in place.

The Deputy Director of the Tourism Department, Rajendra Kumar Rawat, said that preparations are going on for the Green Aerial Fire Crackers Show, which will last approximately 13 minutes.

Dome Entertainment’s India Head, Sanjay Pratap Singh, said that there will be a green aerial firecracker show on a stretch of about 1 kilometre on the sand. The fireworks show will be organised on tracks 9 to 10 of hymns dedicated to Lord Shiva, like “Har-Har Shambhu”, “Shiv Tandav Stotra,” etc.

During the fireworks, an assortment of colours will dominate the sky. Prime Minister Modi, along with the Yogi Adityanth government, has made Dev Diwali from local to global. This year, 7 to 8 lakh devotees are expected to reach Kashi on Dev Diwali. In view of this, the administration is making strict security arrangements, he said. (ANI)

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Worked Keeping Future Generations In Mind: Modi

By LokMarg 7th July 2023

Taking an apparent jibe at the previous Congress-led UPA government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that during the past nine years, the BJP at the Centre has formulated policies keeping the coming generations in the mind and not worked just for one family and one generation.

The Prime Minister was addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth Rs 12,100 crore in his home constituency, Varanasi.
During his address, he said, “In the last nine years, we have not made policies for just one family and one generation, but have worked keeping in mind that the future of the coming generations should also improve.”

He said that today Uttar Pradesh including Kashi (Varanasi) has been gifted with projects worth about Rs 12,000 crore. “Among these, there are projects related to rail, road, water, education, tourism, there are projects related to ghats, many congratulations to all of you for these development works,” PM Modi said.

Asserting that government’s flagship scheme, Mudra Yojana, helped crores of beneficiaries to start their work, the Prime Minister said, “In UP also crores of beneficiaries have started their work by taking advantage of Mudra Yojana. In this, the poor, Dalit, backward, tribal and minority family members and women entrepreneurs have benefited the most.” “This is the social justice, which is being guaranteed by the BJP government,” he added.

PM Modi said that in the last nine years, phenomenal work has been done to improve the connectivity of his parliamentary constituency. “The development works that are being done here (Varanasi) are also creating many new employment opportunities,” he said.

The Prime Minister is on a two-day visit to four states, which kicked off today.

Earlier in the day he flagged off two Vande Bharat Express trains– Gorakhpur-Lucknow (at Gorakhpur Railway Station) and Jodhpur-Sabarmati (via video conference).

He was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and state Governor Anandiben Patel.

Earlier, in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur, he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of eight projects over Rs 7,000 crore.

The Prime Minister dedicated and laid the foundation stone for five National Highway projects worth around Rs 6,400 crores.

PM Modi’s hectic tour of four states including Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Rajasthan will conclude on Saturday, in which he will dedicate multiple projects worth Rs 50,000 crores to the nation. (ANI)

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Ganga Vilas To Culminate Cruise On Feb 28 In Assam

By LokMarg 25th February 2023

Flagged off from Varanasi on January 13 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the world’s longest river cruise ‘MV Ganga Vilas’ will culminate its journey on February 28 in Assam’s Dibrugarh.

A welcome ceremony will be organised by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India in Dibrugarh on the same day. The event will be graced by Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) Sarbananda Sonowal along with other Union Ministers, State Ministers, diplomats and officials of IWAI and MoPSW.

‘MV Ganga Vilas’ a cruise vessel made in India, began its journey from Varanasi on January 13 after being flagged off by Prime Minister Modi. The cruise will cover a distance of 3,200 km in over 50 days before reaching Dibrugarh on February 28 via Patna Sahib, Bodh Gaya, Vikramshila, Dhaka, the Sundarbans and the Kaziranga National Park. Built with a unique design and a futuristic vision, the cruise has three decks and 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 tourists. It is already booked for the to and fro journeys for the next two years.

Union Minister Sonowal said ‘MV Ganga Vilas’ has put India and Bangladesh on the river cruise map of the world thus opening a new horizon and vertical for tourism and freight carriage in the Indian subcontinent.

“Tourists seeking spirituality can visit destinations like Kashi, Bodh Gaya, Vikramshila, and Patna Sahib and those keen on witnessing the natural diversity will cover destinations like Sundarbans and Kaziranga. This route heralds a new chapter for freight carriage through inland waterways both for India and Bangladesh. Now through this journey, tourists have an opportunity to go onboard an immersive experiential voyage and explore the art, culture, history, and spirituality of India and Bangladesh along the entire route,” he added.

North East has a huge potential for freight carriage through National Waterways (NW). These National Waterways provide hinterland connectivity to the states of Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh also and connect these States with mainland India and seaports of Kolkata and Haldia through the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route.

Several projects for developing inland water transport infrastructure namely fairway, terminals and navigation aids have been completed by IWAI in the North East region and some of them are under progress. As per an IWAI internal study conducted in 2017, 49 MMTPA of cargo moves in and out of the North East Region and 30 MMTPA of cargo moves within the North East region. (ANI)

Modi To Flag Off ‘World’s Longest River Cruise’ In Varanasi

By LokMarg 8th January 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the world’s longest river cruise with MV Ganga Vilas on January 13 from Varanasi, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said.

According to the Minister, the luxury cruise will cover a distance of more than 3,200 kms across 27 river systems in 5 states in India and Bangladesh.

“Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are exploring the immense wealth that our rich river system has to offer. This avenue of sustainable development via inland waterways has received a tremendous boost as efforts to augment cargo traffic as well as passenger tourism has borne fruit with encouraging results. The MV Ganga Vilas cruise is a step towards unlocking the huge potential river tourism in the country has to offer,” Sonowal said.

The Minister exuded confidence that the country’s rich heritage will get further transcended in the global stage as tourists will be able to experience the spiritual, the educational, the well-being, the cultural as well as the richness of the biodiversity of India.

“From Kashi to Sarnath, from Majuli to Mayong, from Sunderbans to Kaziranga, this cruise packs an experience of a lifetime. I believe that this wonderful initiative, under the guidance of Prime Minister Modi ji, is the beginning of a new era in river cruise tourism in India and strengthening our government’s commitment to enabling Act East, both through policy and practice,” he said.

According to an official statement, the 51 days cruise is planned with visits to 50 tourist spots including World Heritage Sights, National Parks, river Ghats, and major cities like Patna in Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Guwahati in Assam.

“The MV Ganga Vilas vessel is 62 meters in length, 12 meters in width and comfortably sails with a draft of 1.4 meters. It has three decks, 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 tourists, with all the amenities to provide a memorable and luxurious experience for the tourists,” the statement said.

“The ship follows sustainable principles at its core as it is equipped with pollution-free mechanisms and noise control technologies. The maiden voyage of MV Ganga Vilas will witness 32 tourists from Switzerland relishing the Varanasi to Dibrugarh journey. The expected date of arrival of MV Ganga Vilas in Dibrugarh is on 1st March, 2023,” it added.

The itinerary of MV Ganga Vilas has been curated to showcase the rich heritage of India with stopovers in spots of historical, cultural and religious importance.

The statement further said that the MV Ganga Vilas will stop at Sarnath from the famous “Ganga Arti” in Varanasi.

“It will also cover Mayong, known for its Tantric craft, and Majuli, the largest river island and hub of Vaishnavite culture in Assam. The travelers will also visit the Bihar School of Yoga and Vikramshila University, allowing them to soak in the rich Indian heritage in spirituality and knowledge. The cruise will also traverse through the biodiversity-rich World Heritage Sites of Sunderbans in Bay of Bengal delta, famous for Royal Bengal Tigers, as well as Kaziranga National Park, famous for one horn rhino,” the statement said.

Highlighting the need to develop river cruise tourism in the country, Sonowal said that the development of this sector would generate employment opportunity in the hinterland.

“The government is making capital expenditure to build capacity for the success of river cruise tourism in the country. He said the river tourism circuits will be developed and integrated with the existing tourism circuits for maximum exposure and rapid development of this sector in the country,” he said.

According to the statement, the global River cruise market has grown at ~5 per cent over the last few years and is expected to constitute ~37 per cent of cruise market by 2027. Europe has been driving growth with approx. 60 per cent share of river cruise vessels in the world.

“In India, 8 river cruise vessels are operational between Kolkata and Varanasi while cruise movement is also operation on National Waterways 2 (Brahmaputra). Tourism activities like river rafting, camping, sightseeing, kayaking and so on are operation in many spots in the country. The construction of 10 passengers terminals across NW2 are going on which will further bolster the prospect of river cruise. At present, four river cruise vessels are operational in NW2 while it is operating in limited capacity in NW3 (West Coast Canal), NW8, NW 4, NW 87, NW 97, and NW 5,” the statement said. (ANI)

Devotees Throng Ghats, Temples Across Country On New Year

By LokMarg 1st January 2023

To give an auspicious and promising start to the first day of 2023, devotees lined up in various temples and ghats across the country to seek blessings.

The country ring in New Year with massive celebrations, gleaming fireworks, and merriment. Cities across the country welcome 2023 with enthusiasm and splendor.

The city of ghats, Varanasi welcomed the New Year with a splendid Ganga Arti. The Arti was performed in the early morning hours of the New Year 2023 on the Assi Ghat.

Devotees in large numbers thronged to the bank of the Ganga river to witness the priests performing glorious Ganga Arti with the blowing of conch shells and clanging of Puja bells.

Meanwhile, in Ujjain, devotees assembled at Mahakaleshwar Temple to get a glimpse of ‘Bhasma aarti’ on Sunday.

Devotees from various cities gathered at the spiritual city of Ujjain to watch the magnificent Bhasma aarti of Lord Shiva which was performed in the early morning hours at the Mahakaleshwar Temple.

In the national capital, devotees visited Delhi’s famous Jhandewalan temple to offer prayers on the occasion of New Year 2023.

Heading to the western peninsular region of India Maharashtra, the New Year was greeted with the devotees gathering for ‘Aarti’ at the Shri Siddhivinayak Temple.

Inching towards Northern India, the people in the agricultural state of Punjab, embraced the New Year by seeking blessings at the Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar.

People thronged to Puri beach to witness the first sunrise to give a promising start to New Year.

In Southern India, devotees offered prayers at St.Luke’s Church in Anna Nagar, Chennai.

People offered prayers at Infant Jesus Church in Coimbatore on the occasion of New Year 2023.

Meanwhile, in Odisha, devotees in large numbers visited Puri Jagannath Temple to offer prayers on the occasion of New Year 2023. (ANI)

Jyotriaditya Launches Facial Recognition Service ‘DigiYatra’ For Air Travel

By LokMarg 2nd December 2022

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has launched ‘DigiYatra’ at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi, Airports Authority of India (AAI) informed through a press release.

At an event organised at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital, the Civil Aviation minister inaugurated the service for the Delhi airport while virtually launching the facility for Varanasi and Bengaluru airports.

“Conceived by DigiYatra Foundation under the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the project is aimed to achieve contactless, seamless processing of passengers at airports based on Facial Recognition Technology (FRT),” the release stated.

The Union minister said the project envisages a traveller of today, passing through various checkpoints at the airports through paperless and contactless processing using facial features to establish his/her identity which could be linked to the boarding pass.

To use this facility, one-time registration is required to be done on the ‘DigiYatra’ App through an Aadhar-based validation and a self-image capture. “The project has tremendous advantages of improving passenger convenience and ease of travel,” the Civil Aviation Minister said.

During the launch of the service at the Varanasi airport, Airport Director Aryama Sanyal personally welcomed and greeted the first passenger who availed the new facility. He was travelling to Delhi by an IndiGo Airlines flight.

Passengers can download the app on Android and iOS platforms and register with their ID and image on their phones. While travelling through the airport, the system will recognise the passenger by capturing his face and he will be allowed to enter without showing any document.

The service is presently being launched for domestic flight passengers only and is voluntary in nature, the release further stated.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) plans to launch the ‘DigiYatra’ service at three more of its Airports — in Pune, Vijayawada and Kolkata in the next phase by March 2023. (ANI)

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Gyanpavi: HC Seeks ASI Affidavit On Conducting Carbon Dating Of Shivling

By LokMarg 21st November 2022

Allahabad High Court on Monday asked the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to file an affidavit on whether the ‘carbon dating of the purported ‘Shivling’ found inside the premises of the Gyanvapi Mosque, can be conducted without defacing its shape.

The High Court directed the ASI to file its affidavit on the next date of hearing — November 30.
The HC was hearing a review petition filed by Lakshmi Devi and three others, challenging the Varanasi district court’s order of a ‘scientific survey’ of the purported Shivling, which is claimed to be a part of the fountain of the wazu khana by the mosque management.

In its order on Monday, the single bench of Justice JJ Muneer asked the ASI to confirm if ‘carbon dating’, a method to determine an object’s age, can be conducted without defacing the purported Shivling.

“The subordinate court has rejected the application for conducting a scientific survey in view of the status quo order issued by the Supreme Court. Apprehension has been expressed that carbon dating may damage the alleged Shivling,” the bench stated, adding that it was necessary to determine the age of the ‘Shivling’ without deforming its shape.

The counsel for the petitioners, Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, said only a scientific survey (carbon dating) can bring forth correct information on the ‘Shivling’ found in the Gyanvapi mosque complex, along with other religious items.

It will also establish beyond any reasonable doubt how old the ‘Shivling’ and other idols found there are, the counsel for the petition further submitted.

Earlier, the petitioners had filed an application in the district court, Varanasi seeking a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi Masjid complex.

The court, however, rejected the plea on October 14 saying that doing so could damage the structure.

The single-bench of the Allahabad HC on Monday also directed the principal secretary of the Department of Religious Affairs, Uttar Pradesh, to file an affidavit on the government’s position or stand in the matter on the next date of hearing — November 30.

The chief standing counsel of the state government, Pancham Bipin Bihari Pandey, was directed to clarify the government’s stand by filing an affidavit on behalf of the principal secretary, Department of Religious Affairs, UP.

Advocate Manoj Singh, appearing for the Union government, had sought three months’ time to clarify its position on the matter. However, the court directed that an affidavit is to be filed by November 30. (ANI)

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Allahabad HC Declines Stay On Pray In Gyanvapi Mosque

Hearing Of Plea Seeking Worship Of Shivling In Gyanvapi Premises Adjourned To Nov 14

By LokMarg 8th November 2022

A fast-track court in Varanasi on Tuesday adjourned the matter for November 14 on the plea seeking worship of the ‘Shivling’ that the Hindu side claimed to be found on the Gyanvapi mosque premises.

The matter was adjourned for November 14 as the concerned judge would not sit in the Fast Track court today.
The Court was supposed to deliver its verdict on the three main demands by the plaintiff which include the permission for the immediate beginning of prayer of Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Bhagwan Vishweshwar, the handing over of the entire Gyanvapi complex to the Hindus, and banning the entry of Muslims inside the premises of the Gyanvapi complex.

It is to be noted that the Muslim side is allowed to offer prayers at present.

During the previous hearing that took place in October, the Varanasi court had refused to allow a ‘scientific investigation’ of the purported ‘Shivling’.

The Hindu side had demanded carbon dating of the structure they claimed to be a Shivling found inside the Gyanvapi Mosque’s wazukhana.

However, the Muslim side said that the structure found was a ‘fountain’. The Hindu side had then submitted an application in the Varanasi District Court on September 22 that sought a carbon dating of the object they claimed to be ‘Shivling’.

The Hindu side said that they would approach the Supreme Court against the Varanasi court’s verdict refusing to allow a ‘scientific investigation’ of the purported ‘Shivling’, claiming to be found on the Gyanvapi mosque premises.

On September 29 hearing, the Hindu side had 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.

The Varanasi court said, “It would not be proper to order the survey of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and by giving such order the age, nature, and structure of the said Shivling is known, even this does not imply the possibility of a just solution”.

Advocate Vishnu Jain, representing the side in the Gyanvapi case, “Court has rejected our demand of seeking carbon dating. We’ll move to Supreme Court against this order and challenge it there. I cannot announce the date as of now, but we’ll soon challenge this order in Supreme Court.”

Another lawyer of the Hindu side Madan Mohan Yadav said, “Though the court has rejected the demand of seeking carbon dating, the option of going to the High Court is available and the Hindu side will place their point before the High Court as well.”

Referring to the order of May 17 of the Supreme Court, the Varanasi Court had said that “If the alleged Shivling is damaged by taking samples, then it will be in violation of the order of the Supreme Court”.

“If the Shivling is damaged, the religious sentiments of the general public can also get hurt”, the Varanasi Court had said.

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

After hearing both sides’ arguments, the court had reserved the order in the Gyanvapi Mosque-Shringar Gauri case.

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

Akhlaq Ahmed, representing the Muslim side had said that the plea by the Hindu side is not maintainable as it is against the order of the Supreme Court that stated protecting the structure (which the Muslim side claims to be a fountain and the Hindu side claims to be a Shivling).

“We responded to the application on carbon dating. Stone does not have the capacity to absorb carbon. The Supreme Court in its May 17 order, according to which, the object that the commission found, had to be protected. The order of the SC will prevail, so the object cannot be opened. According to the Hindu side, the process will be scientific, even if it is so, there will be tampering with the object. Chemicals will be used for the test. We will take action based on the order by the court on October 14,” Ahmed had told ANI.

Another lawyer representing the Muslim side, Tohid Khan had said, “The court will deliver its verdict on whether the application seeking carbon dating is acceptable or should be rejected. The structure is a fountain and not Shivling. The fountain can still be made operational.” (ANI)

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Devotees Throng Ghats To Celebrate Chhath Puja Across Country

By LokMarg 30th October 2022

After a hiatus of two years due to COVID-19, thousands of devotees on Sunday flocked to ghats and makeshift ponds across the country to seek the blessings of the Sun God as part of Chhath Puja.

In Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur and Varanasi, a large number of women clad in sarees were seen standing knee-deep in water at ghats, worshipping the Sun God.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attended Chhath Pooja celebrations at Gomti Ghat in Lucknow.

While in the national capital, a massive number of devotees thronged to ITO Ghat to offer prayers, and devotees took a holy dip in the water as part of the Chhath Puja at a pond in Vinod Nagar.

A huge crowd of devotees also gathered at the national capital’s Kalindi Kunj ghat to offer prayers on Chhath Puja.

The festive fervor gripped the ‘land of forest’ Jharkhand too, as devotees offered prayers at Hatania Talab in Ranchi.

Meanwhile, in Bihar, women were seen standing in the water, wearing long ‘sindoor’ with orange color on their faces, and offering fruits and sweets to the Sun God at JP Setu Ghat in Patna.

A huge crowd of devotees gathered to offer prayers at Juhu in Mumbai to mark Chhath Puja.

In West Bengal, devotees offered prayers to the setting sun at Takra Ghat in Kolkata. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee offered prayers on the occasion of Chhath Puja at Kolkata’s Dahi Ghat.

The Chhath Puja is celebrated on the sixth day of the Kartik month of the Hindu calendar, which also happens to be the fourth day after Diwali.

Hyderabad also witnessed a large number of devotees celebrating the Chhath Puja at Tank Bund.

As per the Hindu tradition, devotees, especially in Bihar, Jharkhand, and UP, worship the Sun God to express gratitude and seek blessings.

Women devotees keep an arduous 36-hour-long fast ‘Nirjala Vrat’, and sing devotional and folk songs. ‘Arghya’ is offered to the Sun God while standing in knee-deep water at ghats or makeshift ponds. (ANI)

Allahabad HC To Hear Gyanvapi Case Today

By LokMarg 19th October 2022

Allahabad High Court on Wednesday will hear a plea on Wednesday challenging the Varanasi District Court’s decision on the challenge to the petition of Hindu devotees.

The matter is related to the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque dispute. The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee has filed a petition in the Allahabad High Court against the order passed by the Varanasi District Court.

The plea stated that the order passed in the district court is not maintainable. The plea claimed the Gyanvapi case falls under the Worship Act, under which it cannot be heard.

The High Court on Tuesday imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 on the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for failing to submit a personal affidavit within the deadline. The HC granted the last opportunity to the SSI DG to file a personal affidavit in the case in 10 days.

The High Court was hearing a case in which a Varanasi court ordered the ASI to conduct a survey in the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque complex to ascertain whether a Hindu temple was partially demolished for the construction of the Gyanvapi mosque in the 17th century.

The plea was filed by the Anjuman Intazamia Masjid Committee challenging the suit filed in Varanasi court and seeking the restoration of land on which the Gyanvapi mosque is situated.

Pertinent to mention, a Varanasi court on Friday rejected the plea seeking carbon dating and scientific investigation of the purported ‘Shivling’ claimed to be found in the Gyanvapi mosque complex.

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. 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 Shivaling, 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. (ANI)