The matter of worship in the basement of Vyas ji located in the Gyanvapi complex of Varanasi has now reached the top court of the country. On Tuesday, the Hindu side has filed a caveat petition in the Supreme Court. This caveat petition has been filed in relation to the decision of the Allahabad High Court in the case of Vyas Ji basement.
The Hindu side has said that in this case if the Muslim side comes to the Supreme Court against the decision of the High Court then their side should also be heard.
On Monday Allahabad High Court upheld the decision of the Varanasi district court, denying the appeal from the Muslim side and permitting Hindus to continue their prayers within the ‘Vyas Tehkhana’ of Gyanvapi. The dispute stemmed from the challenge by the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid (AIM), the Gyanvapi management committee, against the appointment of the Varanasi district magistrate as the caretaker of the southern cellar of the mosque, also known as ‘Vyasji ka Tahkhana’, on January 17, 2024.
The Varanasi district court’s ruling allowed for puja inside the cellar on January 31, a decision which was upheld by Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal of the Allahabad High Court. He stated that after thoroughly reviewing the case records and considering the arguments presented, there was no justification to intervene in the district judge’s judgment appointing the district magistrate as the property’s receiver, nor in the subsequent order allowing Puja in the tehkhana.
The legal battle over the Vyas Tehkhana traces back to a plea filed by Shailendra Kumar Pathak Vyas, the acharya of Ved Vyas Peeth temple, on September 25, 2023. He sought permission for the worship of Shringar Gauri and other deities within the cellar, which his family had traditionally performed until December 1993. The district judge’s subsequent order appointed the district magistrate as the receiver of the cellar and allowed puja inside, prompting the legal dispute.
This development comes in the context of ongoing litigation surrounding the Gyanvapi complex, including a court-monitored survey initiated by five women plaintiffs in August 2021. The survey revealed contentious findings, with the Hindu side claiming the discovery of a ‘shivling’ in the complex’s wuzu pond. The Supreme Court’s involvement led to the sealing of the pond area and the transfer of the case to the district judge, now known as ‘Suit no. 18/2022 Rakhi Singh and others vs UP state and others’, which includes multiple related suits.
The Hindu plaintiffs, including Laxmi Devi, Sita Sahu, Manju Vyas, and Rekha Pathak, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, hopeful that their desire to offer prayers to Shringar Gauri and other deities would be honored.
The Allahabad High Court’s decision to uphold the Varanasi district court’s order allows continuation of prayers by Hindus in the disputed cellar, pending any further legal action.