The court overseeing the dispute involving the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi has scheduled a hearing for October 29 concerning the replacement of a torn cloth tied to a lock on the sealed ablution-area within the complex. Both Hindu petitioners and the mosque committee have given verbal consent to the cloth replacement, according to District Government Advocate Rajesh Mishra.
The locked area in question was sealed on May 16–17, 2022, following orders of the civil judge and a subsequent Supreme Court directive during a court-commissioned survey into the site. The cloth on the lock had deteriorated over time, prompting the Hindu side to file a petition on August 8 this year for its replacement.
Mr Mishra pointed out that since the matter is pending before the Supreme Court, the district court lacks the authority to issue substantive orders on the locked area. However, he added that the parties’ mutual agreement means the replacement of the cloth “can be carried out”. During the hearing presided over by District Judge Sanjeev Shukla, the consent was registered and the next hearing set for October 29.
The long-running dispute centres on the mosque complex of the Gyanvapi site, where Hindu petitioners claim that a ‘shivling’-shaped object was discovered in the sealed wazookhana during the survey. The area continues to be sealed off, with worship activity restricted and multiple legal proceedings underway.
The mosque management committee has challenged the survey and sealing, citing protections under the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which mandates that the religious character of a place of worship as of August 15, 1947, cannot be altered. While the cloth replacement may appear a minor procedural matter, it carries symbolic significance in the broader dispute, serving as a gesture of cooperation amid heightened communal sensitivities.
Observers note that the courts have thus far focused on preserving status quo rather than advancing substantive adjudication of competing claims. The court’s acknowledgement of a mutually accepted solution for the cloth replacement suggests a narrowing of procedural friction, even as the core dispute remains unresolved. The agreed replacement of the cloth is expected to be easy to implement but will be closely watched for how it reflects the parties’ willingness to engage in practical accommodation.
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