In a recent development, a Varanasi court has granted permission for the performance of puja (worship) in the cellar known as ‘Vyasji Ka Tehkhana’ in the Gyanvapi mosque complex.

‘Vyasji Ka Tehkhana’ is one of the four cellars in the basement of the mosque, and the court order has allowed the Hindu side to offer prayers in this specific cellar.

The court has directed the district administration to facilitate the arrangements for the puja to be conducted by the plaintiff and a nominated priest from the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust within the next seven days.

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The decision came in response to a suit filed by Shailendra Kumar Pathak Vyas against the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee (AIMC), which manages the mosque.

The suit was filed by Shailendra Kumar Pathak Vyas, who claimed to be the maternal grandson of priest Somnath Vyas, asserting the right to perform prayers in the cellar.

The petitioner had contended that the cellar was closed in 1993, and he sought permission to resume puja.

It’s important to note that this development follows a recent report by the Archaeological Survey of India that indicated the existence of a large Hindu temple before it was demolished in the seventeenth century.

Multiple legal cases concerning prayer rights and historical claims have also been filed by Hindu petitioners in connection with the Gyanvapi mosque.

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