Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 26 (ANI): Pictures of Hindu gods and goddesses have been discovered on the walls of the Gyanvapi mosque, according to the survey report conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), shared advocate Hari Shankar Jain, who represents the Hindu side.
The survey was initiated by the district court after Hindu petitioners alleged that the Gyanvapi mosque was constructed over an existing temple.
As per the ASI report, a Hindu temple was demolished to build the present structure, with the western wall of the 17th-century Gyanvapi mosque being around 5000 years old and belonging to a Hindu temple. The report also reveals the presence of inscriptions in various languages, including Kannad and Telugu, along with the finding of the ‘Shilalekh’ (inscription) commissioned by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, which clearly states the temple’s demolition.
Sudhir Tripathi, another advocate for the Hindu side, disclosed that the ASI report highlights the discovery of sculptures depicting Hindu deities within the Gyanvapi mosque complex.
Requesting further investigations, Lakshmi Devi, a petitioner from the Hindu side, expressed satisfaction with the evidence found so far and emphasized the importance of conducting surveys on other parts of the existing structure.
Meanwhile, advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, also representing the Hindu side, emphasized that the ASI report confirms the demolition of a temple in the 17th century and specifies that the western wall of the Gyanvapi mosque belongs to a Hindu temple. Jain commended the thorough scientific study conducted by the ASI and mentioned the significance of inscriptions, including the mention of Maha Mukti Mandap. Jain further revealed that the ASI concluded that a large Hindu temple previously existed at the site of the current structure and expressed the intention to move to the Supreme Court to demand the opening of the Vazu Tank area.
The ASI had submitted its survey report to the district court last month in a sealed envelope, shedding light on the ongoing dispute over the historical and religious significance of the Gyanvapi mosque.
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