Before the present structure in the Gyanvapi complex was built, there stood a majestic Hindu temple, as mentioned in the survey report by the Archaeological Survey of India, conveyed by Hindu Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain.
In the Gyanvapi case, a Varanasi court, on Wednesday, decreed that both the Hindu and Muslim parties involved would be granted access to the ASI’s survey report on the Gyanvapi case.
Elaborating on the Gyanvapi case, Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side, disclosed, “The ASI has reported that numerous inscriptions were discovered on both the existing and preexisting structures during the survey.”
“Throughout the current survey, a total of 34 inscriptions were documented, and 32 stamped pages were collected. These inscriptions, in various scripts such as Devanagari, Grantha, Telugu, and Kannada, are remnants of a previous Hindu temple that were repurposed during the construction and repair of the existing structure,” he explained.
Jain added, “The reuse of earlier inscriptions implies the destruction of the prior structures, with their components repurposed in the construction and repair of the present structure. Among these inscriptions, three names of deities—Janardana, Rudra, and Umeshwara—have been identified.”
Providing further insights into the ASI’s survey report, Vishnu Shankar Jain stated, “The ASI’s findings reveal that the pillars and plasters employed in the current structure were meticulously studied for the mosque’s expansion and the construction of Sahan. Parts of preexisting temples, including pillars and plasters, were reused with slight modifications.”
“A detailed examination of the pillars and plasters in the corridors suggests that they originally belonged to a pre-existing Hindu temple, repurposed in the current structure. Vyala figures carved on either side of the lotus medallion were altered, and after extracting stone mass from the corners, the space was adorned with floral designs. This observation is corroborated by two similar plasters still present on the north and southern walls of the western chamber in their original positions…”
Following a district court order issued on July 21 last year, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) conducted a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi premises to determine if the mosque was constructed over the pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.
On Wednesday, District Judge AK Vishvesh ruled that both the Hindu and Muslim sides should receive copies of the ASI survey report on the Gyanvapi mosque complex.
After hearing the case, Judge Vishvesh directed that both parties in the lawsuit should receive copies of the ASI’s survey report filed in court so that they can raise objections. The court also permitted the Kashi Vishwanath temple trust, Varanasi DM, and the state’s home secretary to obtain a copy of the ASI survey report. The order was passed in response to a petition filed by Rakhi Singh and others.
The ASI had submitted its survey report to the district court in a sealed cover on December 18.
