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Gyanvapi Case | Allahabad High Court Directs ASI To Conduct Scientific Survey Of 'Shiva Linga' Without Damaging It
Sparsh Upadhyay
12 May 2023 5:35 PM IST
In a significant order, the Allahabad High Court has directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a scientific survey (using modern techniques) of the 'Shiva Linga' that has purportedly been found inside the Gyanvapi Mosque premises in Varanasi to ascertain its age.The order was passed today by the bench of Justice Arvind Kumar Mishra-I while ALLOWING a revision plea moved by...
In a significant order, the Allahabad High Court has directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a scientific survey (using modern techniques) of the 'Shiva Linga' that has purportedly been found inside the Gyanvapi Mosque premises in Varanasi to ascertain its age.
The order was passed today by the bench of Justice Arvind Kumar Mishra-I while ALLOWING a revision plea moved by 4 women Hindu worshippers challenging the Varanasi Court's October 14 order wherein the court had rejected their plea for conducting a scientific probe of the 'Shiva Linga', to determine its age.
The background of the case
It may be noted that the Anjuman Masjid committee (which manages the Gyanvapi Mosque) has been calling the structure found inside the mosque premises in question as a 'Fauwara/Fountain'. On the other hand, the Hindu worshippers have been calling the structure as 'Shiva Linga'.
It may further be noted that hearing the matter on November 5, the Court issued a notice to the Archaeological Survey Of India (ASI) essentially asking the DG, ASI to give her opinion on the following issues by November 21, 2022.
"...whether investigation of the structure found at site, subject matter of Original Suit No.18 of 2022 if examined through the methods of Carbon Dating, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Excavation and other methods adopted to determine its age, nature and other relevant information is likely to damage it or a safe evaluation about its age can be done."
Essentially, this issue came for the Court's consideration as the Revisionists (Laxmi Devi And 3 Others), while challenging the Varanasi Court's October 14 Order, have also sought HC's direction to the ASI to conduct a scientific probe of the 'Shiva Linga' through the methods of Carbon Dating, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), and Excavation.
The Revisionists further seek a direction to the ASI to give its opinion through the issue of a Commission for scientific investigation to determine the age, nature, and other constituents of the Shivlingam, employing the abovementioned methods.
For the uninitiated, a prayer (scientific probe of the 'Shiva Linga') to this effect was earlier made before the Varanasi Court in September 2022, however, the same was rejected taking into account the Supreme Court's May 17 order to protect the spot where the "Shiva Linga" was claimed to have been found during the survey of the Gyanvapi mosque.
"If Carbon Dating or Ground Penetrating Radar is permitted and if any damage is caused to the 'Shiva Linga' then it would be a violation of the Supreme Court order to protect it and it might also hurt the religious sentiments of the general public," remarked the Varanasi Court while dismissing HIndu worshippers' plea.
Challenging that order, the instant revision plea was moved before the High Court last year in November.
