The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has found evidence to suggest that a large Hindu temple existed at the site of the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi. A survey of the mosque constructed during the period of Aurangzeb, was conducted after an order by the district court. After that, the Varanasi District Court, on Wednesday, granted permission for copies of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) report on the Gyanvapi mosque complex to be provided to both the Muslim and Hindu parties involved in the matter.

Timeline of the issue

• 1194 : After the defeat of Gahadwal dynasty, an ancient Shiva temple of Avimukteshwar at the site of Gyanwapi mosque was destroyed.
• Some time later, a Razia Mosque was constructed nearby on the site of Vishweshwar Hill, and the mosque still stands. This is not the mosque being surveyed.
• Sometime in 13th century : Hindus reclaimed the site of Gyanwapi(Avimukteshwar), but it was again destroyed by Sultans of Jaunpur
• 16th century : Raja Todar Mal, a Hindu courtier of Akbar, constructed the Shiva temple again. This is not surprising, as many temples were reconstructed by powerful courtiers during rule of Akbar and Jehangir(including Mathura Janmasthan).
• 1669 : The temple was destroyed again on orders of Aurangzeb and the present Gyanwapi mosque constructed using same materials. This is confirmed by Mughal official records.

Recent timeline of the court case

1. May 16, 2022:
   • A videographic survey of the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque is completed by a Commission appointed by the local court.
   • A structure is found within the mosque premises, claimed by the Hindu side as a “shivling” and by the Muslim side as a “fountain.”
2. July 21, 2023:
   • Varanasi district court orders a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex.
   • District and Sessions Judge A K Vishvesha directs the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to undertake a scientific investigation, survey, and excavation at the property.
3. August 4, 2023:
   • The ASI resumes the survey amid tight security after receiving permissions from the Allahabad High Court and the Supreme Court.
   • Pleas filed jointly by the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee and the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, to stop the survey, are dismissed.
4. December 11, 2023:
   • The Varanasi District Court grants an additional week to the ASI to submit the findings of the court-ordered scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises.
5. December 18, 2023:
   • The ASI submits its report on the scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex to the Varanasi District Court.
   • The report aims to ascertain whether the mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.
6. January 2024:
   • Varanasi District Court allows copies of the ASI report to be made available to both parties in the case.
   • District and Sessions Judge A K Vishvesha issues the order, permitting parties to submit applications for certified hard copies of the report.

The report also found inscriptions in Devanagari, Telugu, Kannada, and Grantha(an old script used to write Sanskrit in TN and nearby areas) scripts that belong to the ancient Hindu temple. These findings suggest that the mosque was built upon a pre-existing Hindu temple. The inscriptions reportedly mention the names of “Janardana”, “Rudra” and “Umeshwara”.

According to India Today, the detailed report also contains photos of various murtis of Hindu deities found in the mosque premises.

The court had ordered the ASI survey after Hindu petitioners claimed the mosque was constructed over a temple. The ASI report is likely to play a significant role in the ongoing legal dispute over the ownership of the site. It is important to note that the ASI report has not been made public yet, and its findings have not been independently verified.

Why did we even need the survey?

A plain look at the mosque would tell us that this was built after demolishing a temple, or at least over a pre-existing temple.

Gyanwapi Mosque with demolished Hindu Temple visible.

We also had official Mughal documents confirming the same, and a large body of scholarly literature by Bharatiya as well as foreign scholars substantiating the destruction. Still, the survey gives the Hindu side a firm scientific confirmation of our assertions.

What now?

As we noted in the Ayodhya issue, a substantial argument of the Muslim side was that there was no proof of Mosque destruction. There is no doubt that like Ayodhya, even here the Muslim side would try the same tricks. However, social media is a potent weapon to fight that disinformation now.

A significant hurdle to restoration of the site to Hindus would be the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which maintains status quo as it existed in 1947. However, repealing the law should not be an issue legally.

Ideally, the Muslim side should look at the evidence and hand over the side to Hindus. The Mosque can be shifted to some other place. Such a solution would be the best case scenario for them now. As such, the site of that mosque has no special significance in their religion and was built solely to deny a significant place of worship to Hindus. Islam permits shifting and demolishing of mosques, and the same has been seen in Mecca and Medina, where Saudis routinely destroy mosques where even Muhammad prayed. Clearly, it is not a religious issue for Muslims, as it is for Hindus.

Such mosques are a symbol of humiliation of Hindus and were viewed as such by Muslims who built them. The survey report can be used by right-thinking Muslims to undo some of the ill will they have accumulated since the times of Delhi Sultanate.