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On May 12, the Allahabad Commission overturned the October 14 order of the Varanasi District Court denying a petition for the use of scientific methods, including carbon dating of the structure. (image/pti file)
Supreme Court stayed Allahabad High Court order to direct carbon dating by Archaeological Survey of India and issued notice
The Supreme Court on Friday postponed the “scientific survey”, including carbon dating, of a “shiffling” said to have been found in the Gyanvabi mosque complex in Varanasi during a video survey last year.
The Supreme Court upheld the Allahabad High Court order to direct carbon dating by the Archaeological Survey of India and issued a notice.
“Carbon dating will start on Monday,” prominent advocate Hudhayfa Ahmadi told the Jianvabi Mosque management committee to the court.
The Supreme Court ordered, on May 12, that the age of the structure allegedly rampant in the Varanasi mosque be determined using modern technology. It has annulled an October 14 order from the Varanasi District Court denying a request for scientific investigation, including carbon dating, of the structure found in May 2022 during a court-commissioned survey of the Gyanvapi mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
Following the High Court order, a Varanasi District Court agreed on May 16 to hear an appeal for a survey by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) of the entire premises of the Gyanvabi Mosque.
Accepting the petition filed by Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side, District Court Judge A. K. Vishvish asked the Gyanvabi Mosque Committee to submit its response to the petition by May 19. The court has set the next hearing in the case for May 22.
Prior to this, the Supreme Court, on May 12, directed the District Magistrate of Varanasi to proceed, in accordance with the law, with the request of the Hindu congregation for a scholarly inquiry on Shivling.
The High Court order had stated that no harm should be done to the building, which the Hindu petitioners claimed was a “shivling”. However, mosque authorities say it is part of a fountain in the ‘wazu khana’, where ablutions are performed before namaz.
The Supreme Court issued the order on a review petition filed by Laxmi Devi and three others challenging the Varanasi court order.
The Supreme Court had obtained a report from various institutions, including the IITs in Kanpur, Rokhi and the Birbal Sahni Institute in Lucknow, before ordering the age of the structure.
The report says direct dating of the structure is not possible and the age can be verified by proxy dating of the materials, which “could be associated with the creation of the ‘lingam’ if there was any”. This needs a thorough study of the material surrounding the ‘lingam’,” he adds.
The report also notes that dating some subsurface organic materials can confirm the age but their association with the structure must be proven.
The authority, in its 52-page report, had given an opinion that the age of the structure could be determined through the scientific method without causing any harm to it. Its opinion was based on studies conducted by IIT Kanpur, IIT Roorkee, Birbal Sahni Institute, Lucknow and other educational institute.
On November 4, 2022, the Supreme Court sought ASI’s response in this matter and directed the Director General of ASI to give his opinion as to whether the investigation into the said structure, if examined by carbon dating, GPR, excavation and other methods adopted to determine its age, nature and other information related, it is likely to damage it or a safe assessment can be made about its age.
A case was filed in the Varanasi District Court seeking the right to regular worship of Shringar Gauri and other deities whose idols presented by the petitioners are located in the mosque compound.
(with PTI input)
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