As the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report confirmed that “there existed a Hindu temple prior to the construction of the existing structure” at the Gyanvapi site, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) said on Saturday (January 27th) that the original site of Kashi Vishwanath be handed over to the Hindu community.
The VHP sought that Hindus be allowed to do “sewa puja” on the ‘Shivling’ located in the “so-called Wazukhana area” of the disputed structure.
“The Hindus be permitted to offer Sewa Puja to the Shivling found in the so-called Wazukhana area, and (ii) Calls upon the Intezamia Committee to agree to respectfully shift the Gyanvapi Mosque to another appropriate place and to handover the original site of Kashi Vishvanatha to the Hindu Society. The VHP believes that this righteous action shall be an important step towards creating amicable relations between the two prominent communities of Bharat,” the VHP president Alok Kumar said in a statement.
Press statement:
— Vishva Hindu Parishad -VHP (@VHPDigital) January 27, 2024
HANDOVER THE GYANVAPI STRUCTURE TO HINDUS: ALOK KUMAR
New Delhi. Jan, 27,2024. The ASI, an official and expert body, has submitted its report to the District Judge hearing the Gyanvapi matter in Kashi. The Int’l working president of Vishva Hindu Parishad and… pic.twitter.com/vGNrTNvrSK
Delving into the basis of the VHP’s demands, Kumar said “The evidence collected by the ASI from the Gyanvapi structure reconfirms that the Mosque had been constructed after demolishing a magnificent Temple. A part of the Temple structure, particularly the western wall is the remaining part of the Hindu Temple.”
He added that a part of the structure, particularly the western wall is the remaining part of the Hindu Temple. The ASI report also shows that components of the pre-existing Temple, such as pillars and pilasters, were reused with modifications to increase the span of the mosque and construct the sahan or courtyard.
Video statement of Shri @AlokKumarLIVE … pic.twitter.com/2z2CY4f7Rn
— Vishva Hindu Parishad -VHP (@VHPDigital) January 27, 2024
Talking about the Shivling found inside the ‘wuzukhana’ of the disputed structure in 2022, Alok Kumar said that the “Shivlinga in what was called the wazukhana leaves no doubt that the structure does not have the character of a Mosque. The discovery of the names including Janardana, Rudra and Umeswara in the inscriptions found in the structure are the tell-tale evidence of this being a Temple.”
The VHP leader went on to state that the evidence collected and the conclusions offered by the ASI do establish that the religious character of this place of worship existed on the 15th of August, 1947, and that its religious character at present is of a Hindu Temple.
Gyanvapi dispute
The Gyanvapi controversy extends back decades, however, in the year 2021, five women namely – Rakhi Singh, Laxmi Devi, Sita Sahu, Manju Vyas, and Rekha Pathak, petitioned a local court for the right to unrestricted worship at the Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal, which is situated within the compound that has idols of Hindu gods.
In April 2022, the local court ordered a survey of the complex, which sparked protests. The survey concluded in May 2022. Meanwhile, the Hindu side said that the Shivling was found in the closing hours of the exercise, while the Muslim side denied this and claimed it to be a ‘fountain’. The court tightened security on the entire complex and ordered the sealing of the wuzukhana area within the disputed structure.
In 2023, the Varanasi district court ordered an in-depth survey of the structure by ASI to determine whether it was erected on top of an existing temple, stating that a scientific investigation was required to uncover the truth. The judge, however, excluded the section over which a dispute had occurred, which stays sealed.
ASI report
As reported earlier, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report on the Gyanvapi structure released on 25tj January made it clear that a large Hindu temple existed in the past where the current disputed structure is present. The over 800-page report gives a very detailed account of the structure and the artefacts found in it, proving that it was a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
The report details artefacts like a Shivling, miniature temple with sculptures of deities, idols of Hindu gods like Vishnu, Krishna, and Ganesh buried in cellars S1, S2 and S3 of the structure. These cellars were found to be deliberately blocked with debris. The findings indicate that the place was a temple earlier converted into a mosque.
