A Varanasi court on Wednesday, January 31 allowed Hindu devotees to offer prayers inside the ‘Vyas Ka Tehkhana’ area inside the Gyanvapi complex. In the basement of the Gyanapi structure on the southern side is a Temple and in this mandir, the regular Puja Archna of the Deities was going on until 1993. In 1993, the administration had, in an arbitrary action, barricaded the area, prohibited the July Hindus from going to the Temple and had stopped the Puja Archna.
A suit was filed to restore the previous situation. On the application of the plaintiff, the District Magistrate of Varanasi was appointed receiver of the property. But then in this order, nothing was mentioned about the restoration of the Puja Archna.
In a statement, the Int’l Working President of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and senior advocate Alok Kumar said that “We are happy that today the Court has said that the Plaintiff in that suit along with the Kashi Vishwanath Trust shall appoint a Pujari to ensure regular puja, archna and performance of other rituals in that basement Temple. This restores the status quo ante. This gives back to us the right to offer worship of the Lord at that place”.
We hope that this will be a precursor to the expeditious decision of the main suit. On the basis of available evidence and our understanding of the law, we do hope that the final judgement in the main suits will also be in our favour, and the Hindus shall get back the Gyanvapi place for the Temple of Adi Visweshwara for the good and welfare of humanity.
