Worship takes place after 30 years in Gyanvapi campus, barricades removed

Worship took place in the Gyanvapi Mosque complex in Varanasi after 30 years on Wednesday night after the district court’s order.

A large number of devotees reached the Gyanvapi basement to worship on Thursday morning, according to the reports.

The puja was performed in the Vyas basement of the Gyanvapi complex. The DM said that the court order has been complied with.

After the decision of the District Court of Varanasi, barricading was removed from the basement overnight and people started gathering for puja. In fact, on Wednesday the court had given its decision to give Hindus the right to worship in the basement of the complex.

The Muslim side has decided to challenge this order in court.

The District Judge, in his order, directed the District Magistrate to make arrangements for the worship and raga bhog of the idols located in the basement of Vyas ji from the priest decided by the plaintiff Shailendra Vyas and Kashi Vishwanath Trust within seven days.

Reports said that the work of conducting the puja will be done by Kashi Vishwanath Trust. The road will be opened by removing the barricading in front of Nandi Maharaj seated in front of the Vajukhana of Gyanvapi Masjid.

Following the court's order, the barricades installed to prevent entry into the basement of the mosque were removed. In fact, the Supreme Court had ordered the basement to be sealed during the ASI survey. In the Gyanvapi case, Hindu side's lawyer Sudhir Tripathi said that in 1993, worship was held there.

The then government of Mulayam Singh had stopped the puja there by surrounding it with an iron plate without any order from any competent court. A case was filed in which two reliefs were sought. The first relief sought was that the doors and windows of Vyasji's basement were broken and dilapidated and forceful occupation of it should be stopped. The District Officer should be appointed as the receiver.''