Hindu prayers resonate in Gyanvapi Masjid's southern cellar 1st time after decades

The court granted Shailendra Kumar Pathak Vyas, who sought permission for prayers, and a Kashi Vishwanath trust-appointed priest access to the mosque premises. The Vyas family was bestowed the right to resume prayers in the southern cellar, dormant since December 1993.

Hindu prayers echoed through the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi Masjid at 3 am on Thursday, marking the first time in three decades after a local court granted permission a day earlier. District magistrate S Rajalingam, in consultation with police commissioner Ashok Mutha Jain and divisional commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma, ensured compliance with the district court's order.

The court granted Shailendra Kumar Pathak Vyas, who sought permission for prayers, and a Kashi Vishwanath trust-appointed priest access to the mosque premises. The Vyas family was bestowed the right to resume prayers in the southern cellar, dormant since December 1993.

This development is poised to impact related disputes over the contested Varanasi shrine and other petitions concerning a mosque in Mathura. Advocate Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi, representing Vyas, expressed joy over the court's compliance.

Contrarily, Akhlaque Ahmad, the mosque committee’s lawyer, refuted claims of the Vyas family performing puja in the basement. He stated that the basement remains under the possession of the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee, which manages the mosque.

The Vyas family, traditionally regarded as the hereditary owner of the southern cellar, practiced prayers to deities like Ganesha, Hanuman, and Nandi. All four cellars were sealed after the Babri Masjid demolition in December 1992.

In September 2023, Vyas filed a plea seeking the appointment of the district magistrate or a nominee as the receiver of the cellar. Allegations were made against the mosque committee accessing the cellars and the potential illegal annexation.

Retired district judge AK Vishvesha, who presided over the case, emphasized that prayers must resume within the next seven days. Hindu petitioners argued for the right to pray in fear of the mosque committee's potential annexation. The court order is seen as a significant win by Vishnu Shankar Jain, counsel for Vyas, while the mosque committee plans to challenge it in the high court, with objections to be heard on February 8.