Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain has recalled the challenges he and his father Harishankar Jain faced in May 2022 when they were en route to the disputed Gyanvapi structure to oversee the court-ordered survey and videography. He reminisced how helpless he felt when up to 50,000–60,000 Muslims, protesting the court-ordered video survey of the disputed structure, had surrounded their car.
They had gathered at the behest of the secretary of the Anjuman Intezamia masjid committee to stop the court-ordered survey and videography of the disputed Gyanvapi mosque structure in Varanasi.
The Hindu side advocate shared his harrowing experience, which will now be included in historian Vikram Sampath’s upcoming authoritative book on Kashi. A snippet of the interview was shared on X by Anand Ranganathan on November 5, Sunday.
As we neared Gyanwapi a sea of skullcaps encircled us. I looked nervously at Babuji. Son, he said calmly, dead or alive, we are going to meet our Mahadev.@Vishnu_Jain1 discloses startling facts that are now going to be part of @vikramsampath’s new authoritative book on Kashi. pic.twitter.com/agkIJxYwJS
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) November 5, 2023
Both advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain and his father and senior SC advocate Harshankar Jain are representing the Hindu side in the case relating to the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi Mosque dispute.
Advocate Vishnu Jain, divulging details of the day the survey and videography of the disputed Gyanvapi mosque structure in Varanasi was to be conducted said that memories of that day are etched in his heart.
“It was either May 5 or 6, 2022 and the Anjuman Intezamia masjid committee secretary had said that they would not allow the video survey of the disputed structure. On his call, 50 to 60 thousand Muslims gathered and blocked the roads from the Maidagin crossing to Gate number 4 of the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi.”
“They were all wearing skull caps and dressed in a particular way. You could clearly identify that they belonged to the Muslim community. Me and my father were in a car, going from the Maidagin crossing to Gate number 4. For a moment we thought that we would never reach our destination. We apprehended that we would be attacked and not allowed to reach gate number 4. I looked at my father helplessly. He told me very calmly that dead or alive, we were going to meet our Mahadev, so keep moving. That was my only inspiration,” advocate Vishnu Jain said.
He added that a few days later not only the Shivling was found from the disputed Gyanvapi premise’s Wuzukhana but the survey team involved in the process revealed the presence of several Hindu motifs including the Swastika, Nandi (bull associated with Shiva) and lotus motifs all over the outer side of the mosque walls.
Court ordered Gyanvapi structure survey halted after Muslim mob blocked the gate
It may be recalled that on May 8, 2022, the court-ordered survey and videography of the disputed Gyanvapi mosque structure in Varanasi had to be stopped, as a protesting Muslim prevented the survey team from entering the mosque. While the team were able to survey the outer façade of the structure, they could not enter the structure for survey despite a court order, as the Muslim mob blocked the gate and prevented the team from entering the premises.
After stopping the court-directed documentation for the day in Varanasi, a videographer who accompanied the survey team involved in the process has revealed the presence of Hindu motifs including the Swastika, Nandi (bull associated with Shiva) and lotus motifs all over the outer side of the mosque walls.
Later, on May 16, the survey was conducted and the Shivling discovered within the disputed Gyanvapi edifice was found from the Gyanvapi premise’s Wuzukhana.
Following the discovery of Shivling inside the premises of Gyanvapi Mosque on May 16, 2022, the Supreme Court of India directed the Varanasi district magistrate to protect the sacred structure.
Recently, the Allahabad High Court on 3rd August 2023, allowed the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a survey after dismissing the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee’s plea, challenging the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey of the disputed structure.
The Hindu side has said that during the survey, the ASI teams found many symbols related to the temple architecture which include fragmented idols found in the basement. A four-foot idol, half of which resembles that of a human while the other half of the idol was reportedly found to resemble that of an animal, has been found. The Hindu site has said that the purported idol is of Narasimha Avatar. The antiquities reportedly found during the survey include a two-foot trident, images of symbols related to Hindu temples, and 5 Kalash (urns).
