Varanasi court ruling on Oct 11 in case seeking carbon dating of 'Shivling' found at Gyanvapi

The Varanasi district court, hearing a petition that sought carbon-dating of the Shivling allegedly found inside the Gyanvapi Mosque during a videography survey of its premises, would pronounce its verdict on Tuesday.

The court, which had reserved its ruling on the petition, sought clarifications from the petitioners whether it should order for a scientific investigation (carbon dating) of the 'Shivling' and whether the said 'Shivling' could be made part of the case.

The court would hear the Muslim parties, which had opposed the carbon dating plea, on Tuesday before pronouncing its ruling.

Four Hindu women had petitioned the court and requested carbon dating of the 'Shivling', which was allegedly found inside the Gyanvapi Mosque premises during a videography survey a few months ago.

Earlier, a Varanasi court had ruled that the petition, 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 a higher court.

Lawyers for the petitioners had said that 'Shivling' was found at a small pond inside the temple-mosque premises, after which the court had the place sealed. The lawyers representing the Muslims, however, refuted the claim and said that the purported ‘Shivling’ was, in fact, a “fountain”.

The Hindu petitioners had contended that a part of the temple was demolished by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in the 17th century. The Muslims, however, argued that the mosque existed before the reign of Aurangzeb and claimed that it was also mentioned in the land records.

The Kashi Vishwanath temple and Gyanvapi mosque premises were under contention between the Hindu and the Muslim communities for the past several decades, without a decisive resolution. There was renewed clamour among the saffron outfits to “take back” the Kashi Vishwanath temple premises after the Supreme Court ruled favourably in the Ayodhya Ram Temple case.