Kashi Vishwanath trust keen to have access to Gyanvapi mosque spot

The Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust is keen on having access to the claimed "shivlinga" that was "discovered" in the adjacent Gyanvapi mosque and may consider taking legal route depending on how the matter plays out in the Supreme Court and lower courts.

While the trust is not a party in any of the matters being heard related to the disputes, the sighting of the claimed idol at the mosque has caused it to now take a stand. "If the idol of Baba Vishweshwar has been found, then how can it be a wazukhana...we demand that until the ruling comes, the shivling be handed over to the Kashi Vishwanath Nyas," Nagendra Pandey, president of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust Council said on Wednesday.





Other trust members ET spoke with said while the trust is convinced that it is a shivlinga, and wants to gain access to it so that daily rituals such as bhog, prayers, shringaar, can be carried out as is customary for a shivlinga, it is aware that only the court can take a call on this. Therefore, while it is currently awaiting the SC and Varanasi court orders, it may soon call a meeting of trustees to discuss the matter on whether they can move the court to gain access or not. The fact that the SC on Tuesday also ordered "protection" of the claimed shivlinga, has strengthened their belief that it is a shivlinga.

"What has been discovered is already mentioned in the Puranas and now that it has been discovered the idol should not be left without bhoga, aarti and puja. In fact, it is the responsibility of the trust to maintain the upkeep of Lord Shiva. But we will not do anything illegal or flout court directives. We will call a trust meeting soon to discuss the way forward," Braj Bhushan Ojha, a professor at the Banaras Hindu University and one of the trustees, told ET. Ojha said the 220th shloka in the 97th chapter of the Kashi Khand in the Skanda Purana validates the "discovery" in the wazukhana and suggested a door could be created opening directly into the tank area, separate from the mosque entry, so that the rituals can be carried out.

Another trustee, Chandramauli Upadhyaya reiterated that the trust will wait for the court orders before taking a call on moving court.