A survey by India’s archaeological agency has found evidence that a 17th-century mosque was built over a Hindu temple, according to a lawyer for Hindu petitioners seeking the right to pray there.
The Gyanvapi Mosque in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi, built by the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, stands near the 18th-century Kashi Vishwanath temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Lord Shiva.
The claim about its origins comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the disputed Ram Mandir, dedicated to the Hindu deity Lord Rama, which was built on the site of a 16th-century mosque, the Babri Masjid, that was demolished by a Hindu mob in 1992.
The Varanasi district court last year ordered the Archaeological Survey of India to determine whether the Gyanvapi Mosque was “constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple”.
The ASI on Thursday submitted a 839-page report which the court released to both parties in the dispute.
Vishnu Shankar Jain, a lawyer representing Hindu petitioners seeking the right to pray in the mosque, quoted the ASI report as saying that based on “architectural remains, exposed features and artefacts, inscriptions, art and sculpture, it can be said that there existed a Hindu temple, prior to the construction of the existing structure”.
“Hence the pre-existing structure appears to have been destroyed in the 17th century and part of it was modified … the material of the pre-existing temple used for the construction of the mosque,” Mr Jain told reporters.
“The western wall of the existing structure was the remaining part of a pre-existing Hindu temple”, Mr Jain quoted the ASI report saying.
The Varanasi court is hearing a petition filed in 2021 by five women seeking permission for Hindus to perform prayers to all “visible and invisible deities" within the mosque all year round.
Hindus are allowed to pray in the mosque compound once a year – towards a wall facing the nearby temple.
“We are yet to go through the reports. We’ll take experts' suggestions and decide our next step. This is just a report, not a judgment," Syed Mohammad Yasin, caretaker of Gyanvapi Mosque, told The National when asked to comment on the ASI report.
"We’ll wait for the judiciary to look into it."
The ASI survey was ordered after an initial video inspection of the mosque claimed to have found a shivling – a representation of Lord Shiva – inside the mosque. The mosque authorities said it was a fountain.
India's Supreme Court ordered the area where the shivling was found to be sealed, but allowed Muslims to continue praying at the mosque.
Mosque authorities have contested the Hindu claim to the right to pray there, citing India’s Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.
The legislation was passed to protect contested historical religious sites and mandates that the nature of all places of worship shall be maintained as it was on the day India gained freedom from British rule in 1947.
But the Varanasi court ruled that the Gyanvapi Mosque lawsuit was maintainable because the petitioners were demanding only that they be allowed to pray inside the mosque.
Hindu groups have made similar claims about scores of Mughal and Islamic historical monuments, including alleging Shahi Idgah mosque in Mathura was built over the birthplace of Hindu God Krishna, and that the Taj Mahal was a Hindu temple.
How The Debt Panel's advice helped readers in 2019
December 11: 'My husband died, so what happens to the Dh240,000 he owes in the UAE?'
JL, a housewife from India, wrote to us about her husband, who died earlier this month. He left behind an outstanding loan of Dh240,000 and she was hoping to pay it off with an insurance policy he had taken out. She also wanted to recover some of her husband’s end-of-service liabilities to help support her and her son.
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November 26: ‘I owe Dh100,000 because my employer has not paid me for a year’
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MS, an energy sector employee from South Africa, left the UAE in August after losing his Dh12,000 job. He was struggling to meet the repayments while securing a new position in the UAE and feared he would be detained if he returned. He has now secured a new job and will return to the Emirates this month.
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What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
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2012-2015
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May 2017
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September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
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if you go
Getting there
Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.
Staying there
On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.
More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr
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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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