Scientific Survey Of Varanasi's Gyanvapi Mosque Resumes

To check the existence of a Hindu temple…

On Saturday, 05 August 2023, The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) resumed its survey project at the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi.

It is to check whether the 17th-century mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.

Government counsel Rajesh Mishra, who accompanied the ASI survey team during the day-long exercise a day before, on Saturday said the team started work in the morning and it would end at 5 pm.

The SC refused to stay the Allahabad High Court order on the ASI survey of the Gyanvapi mosque, an exercise that the Muslim side says will "reopen wounds of the past”.

The bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, however, asked the ASI not to carry out any invasive act during the survey.

This ruled out excavations, which the Varanasi court had said can be conducted if necessary.

The Supreme Court gave a decision on Friday just hours after an ASI team had already resumed the detailed scientific survey ordered by the Varanasi district court on July 21.

The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid committee had challenged the district court's order in the Allahabad HC, which dismissed its petition on Thursday.

The Muslim body then approached the Supreme Court.