In a significant verdict on the Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi mosque controversy, the Allahabad High Court on Friday issued an order to conduct a scientific survey of the alleged Shivling found from the mosque area.
The high court has ordered the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a scientific survey. Scientific survey will have to be done without harming the object, the court directed.
With this verdict, the high court changed the decision of the District Judge of Varanasi, who had rejected the demand of the Hindu side for carbon dating of the Shivling.
A single-judge bench of Justice Arvind Kumar Mishra, hearing the case, said that the ASI will go for a scientific survey and it will have to be ascertained that how old is the alleged Shivling recovered from the mosque.
The ASI will have to ascertain whether it is really Shivling or something else.
The decision of the high court came on the petition filed for the demand of getting the scientific survey of the alleged Shivling done through carbon dating. The petition was filed on behalf of the women of the Hindu side challenging the order of the District Judge of Varanasi.
In the matter, the Archaeological Survey of India had submitted its report yesterday in a sealed cover.
In May last year, during the proceedings of the court commission, the Shivling was recovered from the mosque’s washing area. However Muslim side claims that it is a fountain.