Big win! Hindu temple existed before Gyanvapi Mosque was built, concludes ASI survey report
The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) report released to both Hindu and Muslim parties on Thursday evening now confirms there existed a large Hindu Temple prior to the construction of the existing structure. On Wednesday, in a major development, a Varanasi district court directed that the scientific survey report prepared by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on the Gyanvapi mosque in July 2023 be supplied to all parties to the dispute. Judge A K Vishvesha ordered that all parties to the case should have access to the report about the mosque. After the distribution of the ASI report, all parties will have the right to comment on the report’s findings.
The ASI report’s findings are now open. The Advocate of the Hindu said Vishnu Shakar Jain told the media and read out the few details of the ASI report, supplied to both Hindu Muslim parties that the findings clearly show that the Mosque was built over an old temple.
#WATCH | Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh | Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side, gives details on the Gyanvapi case.
He says, “The ASI has said that there existed a large Hindu Temple prior to the construction of the existing structure. This is the conclusive… pic.twitter.com/rwAV0Vi4wj
— ANI (@ANI) January 25, 2024
The last page of the ASI report says: The Structure appears to have been destroyed in the 17th Century, during the reign of Aurangzeb, and part of it was modified. Based on scientific studies/ surveys carried out, the study of architectural remains, exposing the features and artifacts, inscriptions, art, and sculptures, it can be said that there existed a Hindu Temple before the construction of the existing structure.
PGurus will publish the details of the ASI Report soon showing the existence of the Hindu Temple, well before the Gyanvapi mosque’s site.
“Both the parties to the suit must be provided copies of the survey report so that they can file objections against the ASI report if they think it proper. Without providing a copy of the survey report to the parties, it will not be possible for them to file objections against it,” said the Court on Wednesday.
For this purpose, the sealed envelope containing the survey report presented by the ASI can be opened by the appeal clerk, the Court said. “Subsequently, copies can be provided to the concerned parties upon their request, following the relevant legal provisions and rules,” the Court added. In July last year, the court had ordered the Director of the ASI to conduct a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises, excluding the area previously sealed by the Supreme Court (wuzukhana or an ablution pond).
Soon ASI carried out the survey.
In August, last year, the Supreme Court rejected the plea by the Muslim party challenging the survey and said that the High Court order for the survey does not warrant interference by the apex court at this stage and such a survey was conducted even in the Ayodhya case. The Muslim parties had also filed an application under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC challenging the maintainability of the suit on grounds that the Places of Worship Act of 1991, which was introduced at the height of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, seeks to protect the status of all religious structures as it stood on August 15, 1947. Both the district court and the High Court had rejected the same and held the suit to be maintainable.
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