Gyanvapi mosque: SC refuses stay order allowing puja in Vyas Tehkhana

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the Allahabad High Court order, which had upheld the Varanasi district court's order allowing Hindus to perform prayers of deities inside the 'Vyas Tehkhana', southern cellar of Gyanvapi mosque.

A bench of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra ordered the Hindu and Muslim sides to maintain the status quo at the Gyanvapi premises to enable both communities to offer 'puja' and 'namaz'.

The status quo should not be altered without the permission of the apex court, said the bench.

The bench took note that the access to the Tehkhana where the 'puja' is held and the area where Muslims pray are different.

The top court said that Hindus would enter from the South and pray in Tehkhana and Muslims would enter from the Northern side for prayer.

"At this stage, bearing in mind the fact that namaz is being offered by Muslim communities unhindered after the district court and High Court orders and that prayers in Tehkhana are limited to the Hindu priests, it is important to maintain the status quo, so that both communities can perform religious worship in above terms," the bench stated in its order.

During the hearing, the apex court also noted that Muslims were offering prayer unhindered and the offering of 'puja' was confined to the area of Tehkhana only.

It further issued notice to Hindu plaintiffs on an appeal of mosque committee challenging an order of Allahabad High Court over 'puja' of deities inside the 'Vyas Tehkhana'. The top court now posted the matter for hearing in July.

Mosque committee filed an appeal against the High Court order contending that the administration was acting in 'hot haste' soon after the Varanasi Court's order to perform the 'Puja' at night.

On January 31, Varanasi district court allowed the Hindu side to offer prayers in the southern cellar of Gyanvapi mosque. The court directed the Varanasi district magistrate to make arrangements within seven days for 'puja' to be performed by the Hindu side and a poojari nominated by Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust.

After the order of the court, 'puja' and 'aarti' are being performed there. The ASI survey, ordered by the same court, in connection with a related case, suggested that the mosque was constructed during Aurangzeb's rule over the remains of a Hindu temple. ANI