Kochi: In a major ruling, a Varanasi Court today gave permission to the Hindus to offer prayers inside the sealed ‘Vyas Ka Tehkhana’ area inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex, media reports said.
The court directed the District Magistrate to complete formalities to start puja in one week’s time.
A mosque committee is getting ready to challenge the lower court order before the Allahabad High Court.
A petition was filed seeking permission to conduct Puja in 1991 after removal of the mosque which, it said, was built by Mughal ruler Aurangzeb by demolishing a part of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in 1669.
Legal battles continued between the temple and mosque sides, until the dispute reached the Allahabad Court and continued to be heard for 22 years.
In 2020, the plaintiffs again approached the Varanasi civil court to reopen the case citing a Supreme Court order.
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