'Vyas ka Tehkhana' in Gyanvapi opened for Hindu worship after almost 30 years

New Delhi, Jan 31: A Varanasi court on Wednesday (Jan 31) allowed Hindu devotees to offer prayers inside the 'Vyas Ka Tekhana' area inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex. The court has asked district administration to make the necessary arragements in the next seven days.

 

 

 

 

Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side shared with the media, " ...Puja will start within seven days. Everyone will have the right to perform Puja..." "Hindu side allowed to offer prayers at 'Vyas Ka Tekhana'. The District Administration will have to make arrangements within 7 days," Jain said. The mosque has four 'tahkhanas' (cellars) in the basement out of which one is still in possession of the Vyas family who used to live here. Vyas had petitioned that as hereditary pujari he be allowed to enter the tahkhana and resume pooja.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The news follows the update from an earlier development in the Gyanvapi case, where the ASI report was made public revealing that the Archaeological finding proved the place to be of Hindu worship in earlier time. The report read, "The pre-existing structure appears to have been destroyed in the 17th century, during the reign of Aurangzeb, and part of it was modified and reused in the existing structure. Based on scientific studies/ survey carried out, study of architectural remains, exposed features and artefacts, inscriptions, art and sculptures, it can be said that there existed a Hindu temple prior to the construction of the existing structure."

 

Read detailed report about the ASI findings of Gyanvapi here;

 

 

  

 

 

 

On Sep 25 2023, a suit was filed in the court on behalf of Shailendra Kumar Pathak, stating that the basement of Vyas ji is present right in front of Nandi Bhagwan in the Gyanvapi complex. According to Hindu side's lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, Hindus used to worship here till 1993, but in November 1993, the SP government unconstitutionally banned the worship here. Earlier, barricading was done by using bamboo sticks but later it was completely banned. The basement in the building on the southern side of Gyanvapi is the main seat of the Vyas family, the chief priests of the ancient temple.

 

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