Gyanvapi mosque: India’s apex court stays scientific probe, carbon dating of ‘shivling’

The Indian Supreme Court (SC) on Friday stayed the order of Allahabad High Court asking the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct “scientific survey”, including carbon dating, to determine the age of a ‘Shivling’ (idol of God Shiva), which the Hindu plaintiffs claim is inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi.

“Since the implications of the impugned order merit closer scrutiny, the implementation of the directions concerned in the order shall stand deferred till the next date", said the order passed by a bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala.

The judges said that the implications of the lower court’s order warrant a closer scrutiny and added that all stakeholders "must tread carefully".

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The top court’s ruling came in response to a special leave petition filed by the Anjuman Islamia Masjid committee, which manages Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi, against the high court's order allowing the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to carbon-date the 'shivling'.

The apex court has sought responses from the Central and Uttar Pradesh governments over the plea filed by the Muslim side against the HC’s order.

Allahabad HC's order on May 12

On May 12, the high court gave a go-ahead to the scientific survey to ascertain the age of the structure.

The court observed that a scientific investigation of the object can be done without causing any harm to it. The lower court had made the decision based on a report by the Archaeological Survey, Justice Arvind Kumar Mishra-I said in his judgement.

It said that the process undertaken by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) needs to be carried out under the supervision of Varanasi District judge.

A petition seeking a scientific probe was earlier made before the Varanasi court in September 2022. But it was rejected because the top court had passed an order in May last year to protect the spot where the disputed structure was found.

The case pertains to a petition filed by five Hindu women seeking permission for the worship of Hindu deities whose idols were allegedly found to be located on an outer wall of the Gyanvapi mosque.

The claim was disputed by the Muslim side who said that the mosque is a Waqf property.

In May last year, an oval-shaped object was discovered during a survey of the mosque premises ordered by a Varanasi civil court. The caretaker committee of the mosque claimed that the object was a defunct fountainhead in the ablution tank.

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