The Hindu petitioners on Thursday sought carbon dating of the Shivling allegedly found inside the Gyanvapi mosque a few months ago during the videography survey of the premises. The new appeal came even as the Muslim petitioner wanted the hearing to be deferred for eight weeks so that they could prepare their case.
District judge Ajai Krishna Vishwesh, while issuing notice to the Muslim petitioners, scheduled the next hearing on the matter for September 29.
The district court had earlier ruled that the petition filed by five women seeking permission for daily worship at the Shringar Gauri Shrine, allegedly situated inside the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi Mosque premises, was “maintainable”.
The Anjuman Intezamiya Committee had said that it would challenge the ruling in higher court.
During a court-ordered videography survey of the premises, Hindu lawyers had claimed that a Shivling was found at a small pond inside, after which the court had sealed the place. The lawyers representing the Muslims, however, refuted the claim and asserted that the object being called a Shivling was, in fact, a fountain.
Hindu lawyers had claimed that the Shivling was found in a pond whose water was used for wuzu (Islamic procedure of cleansing body parts before prayers) by the Muslims.
The Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi Mosque premises has been a topic of dispute between the two communities for the past several decades, with both laying claim to it. However, there is now renewed clamour among saffron outfits to “take back” the Kashi Vishwanath Temple premises after the apex court passed a favourable decision in the Ram Temple case.
The Hindu petitioners contended that a part of the temple had been demolished by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in the 17th century. The Muslims, on the other hand, contended that the mosque existed before the reign of Aurangzeb, and said the same was mentioned in the land records.
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