Hindu Petitioner Seeks ASI Survey of Unsurveyed Cellars in Gyanvapi Complex

Varanasi: A Hindu petitioner has approached a Varanasi court, seeking the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a survey of the remaining cellars within the Gyanvapi complex. The petitioner argues that examining these areas is essential to determining the religious nature of the site.

The application filed in the district court outlines key points, requesting the ASI to survey blocked entrances of remaining cellars and those not investigated in the recent Gyanvapi precinct survey. The plea emphasizes non-destructive survey methods to preserve the structure.

The petitioner notes that some cellars remain unsurveyed due to blocked entrances, which, though consisting of bricks and stones, don’t bear the structure’s load. They argue that ASI experts can safely remove these obstructions. The plea suggests obtaining an ASI report on the removal process for structural preservation.

Notably, religious rituals occurred on the Gyanvapi premises following a court’s ruling allowing midnight prayers. The court specified that the prayers would be conducted by a temple trust-nominated “pujari” and the petitioner, who claimed ancestral puja rights until December 1993. The ruling stemmed from a plea by Shailendra Kumar Pathak, asserting his grandfather’s role as a priest at the cellar.