Puja performed at basement of Gyanvapi mosque complex

VARANASI: After the Varanasi Court allowed the Hindu devotees to worship inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex, the barricades of Vyas Ka Tehkhana (basement) of the mosque were opened, and daily arti and puja were performed early in the morning on Thursday. According to Vishnu Shankar Jain, the Hindu side lawyer Mangla Arti was performed at 3:30 in the morning and bhog was done at 12 pm.

This comes as Varanasi court on Wednesday allowed Hindu devotees to offer prayers inside the 'Vyas Ka Tekhana' area inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex. The Vyas family member said that he along with priests performed puja in the basement in the presence of district officials.

The petition was filed by Shailendra Kumar Pathak Vyas stating that his maternal grandfather Somnath Vyas had performed puja in the basement till 1993. There are four tehkhanas (basements) inside the mosque complex. 'Vyas Ka Tehkhana' is in the southern part of it.

Supreme Court refuses to intervene in matter
The mosque committee had approached the Supreme Court raising concerns that the puja might be performed on Wednesday night itself. The lawyer reached the registrar's residence and demanded that the matter be considered urgently at night. The registrar replied that he would talk to the Chief Justice and let him know. The registrar called Fuzail Ahmad Ayyubi, the mosque committee's lawyer, at around 08.30 yesterday morning and informed him that Chief Justice DY Chandrachud directed the Muslim side to approach the Allahabad High Court.