Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath case: Allahabad HC allows ASI to conduct carbon dating of ‘Shivling’
1 min read 12 May 2023, 06:21 PM ISTThe Hindu petitioners have claimed the object inside the Gyanvapi mosque to be a ‘Shivling’. The claim was disputed by the Muslim side, which said the object was part of a 'fountain'
PremiumIn the controversial Kashi Vishwanath temple and Gyanvapi mosque case, the Allahabad High Court on Friday allowed the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct carbon dating of what Hindu religious groups have claimed is a 'Shivling' inside the Gyanvapi mosque.
The Allahabad HC noted that ASI should conduct the carbon dating without damaging or causing any harm to the structure. Carbon dating is a method of calculating the age of very old objects by measuring the amounts of different forms of carbon in them.
The Hindu petitioners have claimed the object inside the Gyanvapi mosque to be a "Shivling". The claim was disputed by the Muslim side, which said the object was part of a "fountain".
It set aside an October 14 order of the Varanasi District Court that rejected a plea for scientific investigation, including carbon dating, of the structure.
The high court ordered authorities to ensure no harm is done to the structure claimed to be a ‘shivling’. The mosque authorities say it is part of a fountain in the 'wazu khana', where ablutions are performed before namaz.
Justice Arvind Kumar Mishra passed the order on a revision petition challenging the Varanasi court order.
"...The ASI has presented several techniques of scientific survey before the court. On 22nd May, District Judge will decide how will the scientific survey be carried out." Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu told ANI on Friday.
Hindu petitioners, Laxmi Devi and three others, have filed the present civil revision petition, challenging a Varanasi court order that had rejected the demand for carbon dating and scientific determination of the purported 'Shivling', found during a court-mandated survey of Gyanvapi mosque premises on May 16, 2022.
The Supreme Court of India in April asked the Varanasi district authorities to come up with a congenial working solution for the alternative arrangement for 'Wazu' (ablution) and washrooms at the Gyanvapi mosque area during the period of Ramzan.
On May 20, 2022, the Supreme Court ordered the transfer of the case related to worship at Gyanvapi mosque from the civil judge to the district judge, Varanasi. On May 17, 2022, in an interim order, the top court directed the authorities to protect the 'Wazu' area where the 'Shivling' was reportedly found and granted access to Muslims for namaz.
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