Varanasi Court Grants Hindu Worship Rights at ‘Vyasji Ka Tehkhana’ in Gyanvapi Complex

The basement of Vyas Ji Ka Tehkhana is located at the southern end of the Gyanvapi complex.

A Varanasi court on Wednesday allowed Hindu devotees to offer prayers inside the ‘Vyas Ji Ka Tehkhan’ area inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex.

In a landmark decision, a Varanasi court has permitted Hindu devotees to perform pooja at the ‘Vyasji Ka Tehkhana,’ a cellar located on the southern side of the Gyanvapi mosque complex. This ruling emerged from a lawsuit filed by Shailendra Kumar Pathak Vyas against the Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee (AIMC), the body overseeing the mosque.

The ‘Tehkhana’ in question is one of four cellars in the mosque’s basement, still under the possession of the Vyas family. The lawsuit, filed by Shailendra Kumar Pathak Vyas, sought permission for the family to resume prayers in the cellar. The petitioner, claiming to be the maternal grandson of the former priest Somnath Vyas, argued for his right to conduct religious ceremonies that were discontinued in 1993 when the cellar was closed by authorities.

The court has instructed the district administration to facilitate the necessary arrangements for the pooja within the next seven days. This decision follows the broader legal battle concerning the Gyanvapi mosque, with Hindu petitioners seeking prayer rights and raising questions about the mosque’s historical origins.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) played a pivotal role in these legal proceedings, conducting an in-depth study as ordered by the court. The ASI’s comprehensive report suggests the existence of a large Hindu temple predating the construction of the Gyanvapi Masjid in the 17th century.

Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side, expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision, emphasizing that it grants the Hindu community the right to offer prayers at ‘Vyasji Ka Tehkhana.’ Meanwhile, the AIMC’s counsel, Akhlaque Ahmad, dismissed allegations of any attempt to seize the cellar, asserting that such claims are baseless.

This court ruling marks a significant development in the ongoing legal saga surrounding the Gyanvapi mosque, providing clarity on the rights of the Hindu community to worship in a historically contested space.