SC agrees to examine plea seeking ‘puja’, carbon dating survey by ASI of Gyanvapi Shivling

New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to list a plea seeking ‘puja’, ‘darshan’, ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey and carbon dating by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) of the Shivling purportedly discovered in the Gyanvapi mosque’s ablution area during a court-ordered survey.

Advocate Vishnu Jain mentioned the plea, filed by seven Hindu women, before a bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana.Jain said the plea is for puja and darshan of the Shivling found inside the Gyanvapi mosque premises, and also for the dating of the Shivling, and urged the top court to urgently list the matter.

Jain submitted that appeal by the Muslim side challenging survey is coming up on July 21 and requested the court to list this plea along with it. The top court agreed to list the matter on July 21.

On May 20, the Supreme Court transferred the proceedings of the suit by the Hindu parties seeking worshipping rights at the Gyanvapi mosque to the district judge in Varanasi.

However, the apex court said its May 17 interim order directing protection of the ‘Shivling’, which was purportedly discovered during the survey in Varanasi’s Gyanvapi mosque, and free access to Muslims for offering namaz should remain operational for eight weeks after district judge decision in the matter.

The petitioners requested the top court to direct the Central government to install live video streaming equipment to stream on the website of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Trust at Shivalingam existing within the old temple complex discovered in the advocate commissioner’s survey on May 16, 2022.The plea sought a direction for devotees to have virtual darshan and perform symbolic puja.