RNS: The Allahabad High Court has granted permission for Hindu puja to be conducted in the cellar of the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, according to media reports. The court dismissed a plea by the Gyanvapi Mosque Committee challenging a district court’s decision to allow the puja.
Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal stated, “After reviewing the case records and considering arguments from all parties, the court found no grounds to interfere with the district judge’s decision dated January 17, 2024, appointing the District Magistrate of Varanasi as the receiver of the property and the order dated January 31, 2024, allowing the puja in the cellar.”
In a significant development in late January, the District Court directed the Varanasi District Magistrate to arrange for the worship of idols located inside the basement on the south side of the Gyanvapi complex. The court ordered, “Perform puja and Raag-Bhog of idols located in the basement on the south side of the building… by a priest named by the plaintiff and the Kashi Vishwanath Trust Board.”
The court’s decision followed an application filed in 2023 by Shailendra Kumar Pathak, asserting that worship in the basement had been discontinued since December 1993. The application claimed that priest Vyas, who had been performing rituals hereditarily, was prevented from entering the area. The state government and district administration were accused of stopping worship without legal authority.
The defendant opposed the application, arguing that the Vyas family never performed puja in the basement and that there was no idol in the area. However, the court ruled in favor of allowing the puja, directing the receiver and the District Magistrate to make arrangements for it within seven days.
