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The HC on February 2, had refused an interim stay on the conduct of pooja at the southern cellar and had reserved its order on the plea by the mosque committee on February 15
The Allahabad High Court has dismissed the plea of the mosque committee challenging a January 31, 2023 order of the Varanasi Court allowing 'Pooja' in 'Vyas Tehkana' or the southern cellar of Gyanvapi complex.
The plea was moved by Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee, which manages the affairs of Gyanvapi.
Muslim side had challenged the order claiming bias on the part of the Varanasi Court judge who allowed Hindu priest to perform 'Pooja' in 'Vyas Tehkana'.
The Hindu side's argument was that the order allowing puja inside Tehkhana was 'not improper', as being alleged by the Muslim side. Their main argument is that the Hindu Puja in the southern cellar continued till 1993, and there was no bar that it could not be performed now. On February 2, the high court had denied the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee's plea for an interim stay on 'Pooja' in 'Vyas Tehkana' or the southern cellar.
Shortly after the January 31 order of the Varanasi district court allowing Hindu devotees to worship in 'Vyas Tehkana', the pooja began.
Challenging the local court's directions, the mosque management committee moved the Supreme Court, which redirected it to the Allahabad High Court.
On January 31, the Varanasi District Court granted permission to priest Shailendra Kumar Pathak, who filed a plea seeking direction to allow him the right to worship Hindu deities in the cellar of the Gyanvapi.
Pathak had submitted before the District Court that his maternal grandfather, priest Somnath Vyas, conducted prayers in the Gyanvapi cellar until 1993 when it was shut down by the Uttar Pradesh Government.
Allowing Pathak's plea, the District Court had ordered that the Kashi Vishwanath Trust, overseeing the Kashi Vishwanath temple, would facilitate prayers in the mosque cellar. The court had instructed the Varanasi district magistrate to arrange for the puja by Pathak within seven days.
Notably, in its report, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) stated that there existed a Hindu temple beneath the current structure of the mosque.
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