Varanasi, 29

Oct (HS): The Varanasi district court withheld its decision on a request

seeking the replacement of a cloth placed over the shut lock of the wuzukhana

(ablution facility) inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex until November 10, after

both Hindu and Muslim parties agreed.

The Hindu

side's lawyer, Madan Mohan Yadav, stated that District Court Judge Sanjiv

Shukla sought the permission of all sides and then deferred its ruling until

November 10. In the prior hearing, the district court stated that because the

case was pending before the Supreme Court, it could not give any directives on

its own. However, it said that if both

parties agreed, the fabric on the sealed lock may be changed.

The wuzukhana

portion of the Gyanvapi mosque was shut on May 16-17, 2022, following a

court-ordered survey undertaken by the Varanasi civil judge (senior division)

in compliance with Supreme Court directives. It is reported that the linen

knotted around the lock disintegrated with time. To avoid any adverse

incidents, the Hindu side submitted a petition on August 8 requesting

permission to replace it. The Gyanvapi complex, which is close to the Kashi

Vishwanath temple, has been the site of a long-running legal battle between

Hindu and Muslim parties over claims of a temple building beneath the mosque.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi