Varanasi: Court Seeks Yogi Govt's Response On Plea By Five Women To Perform Pooja Of Deities Inside Gyanvapi Mosque

A Varanasi Court has sought response from the Uttar Pradesh government on a plea filed by five women seeking permission for 'darshan' and 'pooja' of the deities inside the disputed Gyanvapi mosque in the holy city.

Besides the state government, responses have also been sought from Mosque committee and Board of Trustee of Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

The matter will be heard again by the Court on 10 September.

The plea moved by five women, Rakhi, Laxmi, Sita, Manju and Rekha sought declaration from the court that they are entitled to have darshan, perform rituals and pooja of Maa Srinigar Gauri, Lord Ganesh, Lord Hanuman and other visible and invisible deities within the Gyanvapi Mosque, reports Bar and Bench.

The Court, while admitting the plea, called for a report and directed that notices be issued to Varanasi's District Magistrate and Police Commissioner.

In the plea, the women contended that there are images of deities Maa Ganga, Lord Hanuman, Shri Gauri Shankar, Lord Ganesh, Shri Mahakaleshwar, Shri Maheshwar, Shri Goddess Sringar Gauri, and other deities visible and invisible within old complex of the mosque.

The plaintiffs have reportedly sought several reliefs from the Court including declaration that they are entitled to have darshan, pooja and perform all the rituals at the religious site.

They have also sought to restrain defendants from imposing any restriction, creating any obstacle, hindrance or interference in performance of such daily darshan, pooja, aarti, bhog and observance of rituals by devotees.

Further, directions to defendants to restrain from demolishing, damaging, destroying or causing any damage to the images of deities Goddess Maa Sringar Gauri at Asthan of Lord Adi Visheshwar along with Lord Ganesh, Lord Ganesh, Lord Hanuman, Nandiji and other visible and invisible deities within the old complex have also been sought.

Also, the plainifs have requested the Court to direct UP government and district administration to make every security arrangement and facilitate daily darshan, pooja, aarti, bhog by devotees of Maa Sringar Gauri along with Lord Ganesh, Lord Hanuman, Nandji and other images and deities within the precincts of temple complex known as ‘Ancient temple’ existing at the old complex.

The plea contended that the UP government and officers working under it were infringing on the fundamental right of religion guaranteed to citizens under Article 25 of the Constitution of India as they have no right or power to put any restriction on the exercise of religious right by Hindus and cannot restrict the pooja and darshan to one day in a year.

"The action of the Government imposing restriction reducing the right to darshan and Pooja only one day in a year is arbitrary, illegal without jurisdiction, null and void," the plea said, Bar and Bench reported.