Sushree Mohanty
A Varanasi Court has issued notification on a civil suit case documented by devotees of Lord Shiva requesting for removal of the Gyanwapi mosque situated near the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
The Mosque is was built by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in the year 1669 by supposedly destroying an old temple.
The notification has been communicated to the Centre, Uttar Pradesh government, Varanasi District Magistrate, Senior Superintendent of Police, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh Muslim Personal Law Board, The Mosque Management board-Anjuman Intazamia, and the Board of trustees of Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
The court has additionally directed the above mentioned authorities to file their response in the matter and have adjourned the court for additional hearing on April 9, 2021.
The suit likewise requested for passing an order asserting that ” the devotees of Maa Goddess Shringar Gauri, Goddess Maa Ganga, Lord Hanuman, Lord Ganeshji, Nandiji and Lord Adi Visheshwar are permitted to conduct and be present for Darshan, Pooja and Worship the gods inside the Settlement Plot No.9130 (Nine Thousand One Hundred Thirty) present at Dashashwamedh in the core of the City of Varanasi“.
The current suit is the second request filed in the same matter.
Prior to the latest suit, the court had directed the mosque authorities to file their response on a civil suit documented by the devotees on the ground of “next friend” of the deities.
“The temple being referred to contains the picture of Swayambhu deity Goddess Shringar Gauri and pictures of various God and Goddess, some of which are objects of worship and Hindu religious aspects inside the design from ancient times. The religious character of the structure as a Hindu’s place of worship is continuing till date regardless of the development unlawfully raised by Muslims”, the plea said.
The suit is filed by Shiva worshipers Satyam Tripathi, Ashish Kumar Shukla, Pawan Kumar Pathak through advocates Hari Shankar Jain and Vishnu Shankar Jain.
The suit has additionally requested the court to pass a pronouncement in the nature of a declaration proclaiming that the whole Avimukteshwar area is under the ownership of the petitioner deity Asthan Lord Adi Visheshwar.
It says, “As depicted in different sacred texts and Skand Puran, the Jyotirlinga was set up by Lord Shiva himself at Kashi making Avimukteshwara Kshetra.”
It further states that the Jyotirlinga is set in the range of 5 (Five) Kos (Krosh).
The suit further contends that the Parliament cannot authorize the illicit activity of trespasser which violates the fundamental rights of the Hindus guaranteed under Article 25 of the Constitution of India.
The request additionally said that the parliament likewise cannot control Hindu worshipers from getting back their religious places of worship through any legal interaction or process.