ASI begins survey at Gyanvapi mosque complex; Muslim side boycotts survey

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has begun the scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex in a bid to determine if the mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple was built upon a temple.

The survey comes after a Varanasi court order instructing ASI to conduct a "scientific investigation/survey/excavation" of the mosque premises in response to a plea filed by four Hindu women petitioners. The ASI will reportedly be conducting a Ground Penetrating Radar survey just below the three domes of the building. It will also excavate if required. The court also ordered to videograph the survey proceedings and file the report before August 4. 

The mosque's 'wazukhana', where a structure claimed by Hindu litigants to be a 'shivling' exists, will not be part of the survey, following an earlier Supreme Court order protecting that spot in the complex. 

Following this, the ASI team informed Varanasi District Magistrate S Rajalingam that the survey will begin on Monday. The magistrate added that all necessary preparations in terms of security are being done. He added that an advocate for each of the petitioners will accompany the survey team. 

"Today the Gyanvapi survey will be conducted, it is a good thing for us...the survey began at 7 am, can't say how long it will go on", Sudhir Tripathi, advocate representing the Hindu side, told ANI. Vishnu Shankar Jain, another advocate appearing for the Hindu side, added that the survey could be over in three to six months. "I have been informed that my application has been approved and the court has given directions to conduct an ASI survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex, excluding the Wazukhana which has been sealed. I think the survey can be completed within 3 to 6 months," Jain was quoted by the agency.

Varanasi Police Commissioner Ashok Mutha Jain and the DM held a meeting with both the Hindu and Muslim sides to the dispute on Sunday night to share information about the survey with them. However, citing the Supreme Court hearing scheduled for Monday on the order for the survey, the lawyers of the Muslim side demanded that the date for the exercise be postponed, Yadav said.

He added that the Muslim side has boycotted he survey. 

According to the Hindu litigants, the mosque was built on the site of the original Kashi Vishwanath temple. But, the Muslim litigants argue that the mosque was built on Waqf premises and that the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, barred changing the character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947.