Gyanvapi Mosque: Exploring the Splendour of History and Controversy

The article 'Gyanvapi Mosque: Exploring the Splendour of History and Controversy' provides a comprehensive understanding of the historical context surrounding the Gyanvapi Mosque and the controversies it has engendered. It explores the architectural features of the mosque, highlighting the fusion of Islamic and Hindu elements that reflect the syncretic cultural traditions prevalent in medieval India.

Additionally, the article delves into the various legal disputes that have arisen over the years, with Hindu groups claiming the mosque's site as the original location of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and demanding its reconstruction.

A Historical Examination of the Gyanvapi Mosque

Gyanvapi Masjid, or Gyanvapi Mosque, is in the ancient city of Varanasi, where the beautiful Ganges River flows and spirituality pervades every nook. This Mosque is very important to devotees and historians since it depicts the meeting of civilisations and faiths. Gyanvapi Masjid has a rich history that is entangled with disputes and the continuing dispute with the neighbouring Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

Gyanvapi Masjid dates back to the 17th century, during the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. It was constructed on the location of the old Kashi Vishwanath Temple, a respected Hindu place of devotion. The Mosque's building was meant to symbolise Islam's supremacy in the region. Surprisingly, the region where the Mosque was built is said to be the location of Lord Shiva's lingam, a sign of heavenly energy.

Gyanvapi Masjid is a one-of-a-kind combination of Mughal and Hindu architectural traditions. The Mosque has ornate carvings, minarets, and a large courtyard. Visitors are greeted with exquisite calligraphy, arches, and domes inside the main prayer area. The mix of red sandstone and marble, which contributes to the Mosque's majesty and showcases the aesthetic skills of its architects, demonstrates superb craftsmanship.

The name "Gyanvapi" is Sanskrit for "well of knowledge," giving the Mosque a distinct character in an India that takes pride in its secular culture. Despite its long history, the Mosque in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, has lately received notice owing to a disagreement regarding its religious validity.

Scholars disagree on the history of the Gyanvapi site. According to some reports, a Vishweshwara Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva was in the same location before the Temple was demolished ancient Temple is claimed to have been demolished by Qutb al-Din Aibak in the 13th century and rebuilt by the Razia Mosque. Various stories, however, credit the demolition to various monarchs.

The destruction of the Temple by Aurangzeb in 1669 made room for the construction of the Gyanvapi Masjid. Despite the collapse, some oral sources say that Brahmin priests were allowed to live within the Mosque structure, retaining certain Hindu pilgrimage rights. The historical facts surrounding the Temple's demolition and subsequent building of the modern Vishwanath Temple close to the Mosque remain contentious.

The ancient Temple is claimed to have been demolished by Qutb al-Din Aibak in the 13th century and rebuilt by the Razia Mosque. Various stories, however, credit the demolition to various monarchs.

The destruction of the Temple by Aurangzeb in 1669 made room for the construction of the Gyanvapi Masjid. Despite the collapse, some oral sources say that Brahmin priests were allowed to live within the Mosque structure, retaining certain Hindu pilgrimage rights. The historical facts surrounding the Temple's demolition and subsequent building of the modern Vishwanath Temple close to the Mosque remain contentious.

The ongoing argument over its religious classification illustrates India's complicated history and efforts to preserve its unique legacy for future generations.

The Point of Controversy

The case relates long back to the year 1991 when a bunch of Petitions were filed in Varanasi District Court. The Petitioners were Hindu Priests who demanded to worship inside the premises of the Gyanvapi Mosque/ Masjid area.

The Petitioners as well as the priest claimed that Gyanvapi Mosque was built by the orders of the Mughal ruler, namely Aurangzeb who demolished the Temple part of Kashi Vishwanath Mandir back in the 17th century.

It came into the news because a Varanasi-based lawyer filed a petition in lower court contending the same as claimed by priest and petitioners in 1991, reviving all the bunch petitions from 1991 itself.

1. Historical Claims: One of the primary sources of contention is the historical claim made by some Hindu groups that the Gyanvapi Mosque was constructed on the ruins of the original Kashi Vishwanath Temple. These groups argue that the Mosque's existence is a symbol of past religious intolerance and the destruction of Hindu places of worship during the Mughal period.

2. Legal Battles: The legal battle surrounding the Gyanvapi Mosque centres on the demand for its demolition and the restoration of the original Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Various lawsuits have been filed by Hindu groups seeking ownership and control over the disputed site. The Allahabad High Court has been overseeing the case, and the matter has reached the Supreme Court of India.

3. Social and Political Ramifications: The controversy over the Gyanvapi Mosque has led to significant social and political tensions. The issue has been exploited by various political parties and groups to gain religious and electoral advantages. The controversy has also affected the communal harmony of the region, leading to concerns about possible outbreaks of violence.

4. Preservation of Heritage: Advocates for the preservation of historical heritage argue against the demolition of the Gyanvapi Mosque, emphasising the need to maintain diverse historical structures and religious symbols. They believe that the Mosque is an integral part of the region's history and cultural fabric and should be conserved for future generations.

Religion and Gyanvapi Controversy

Muslim’s View-Point - In 1993, most of the Muslims were found to be denying that Aurangzeb plunged and destroy the Temple due to his opposing religious views. Some theories are mentioned herein below: -

• The original building was so archaic and old that it destroyed itself.
  
• The original building was already a Temple but it was demolished by a Hindu merchant known as Jnan Chand.
• The original building was a Temple but was demolished due to an ongoing communal riot at that time, which was triggered by none other than Hindus.
• The original building was a Temple but it was destroyed by Aurangzeb because it was a political rebellion.
• It is also claimed that there was no Temple but as Akbar was a politically liberal thinker so he rebuilt Gyanvapi Mosque and beside it, he also built Kashi Vishwanath Temple. He made it because of his highly religious tolerance towards every religion.

Hindu’s View-Point - Hindu, on the other hand, have different thinking altogether about the Gyanvapi structure, they believed that once it was a Temple that was built on the site but when Aurangzeb reached Varanasi and when he annexed/ captured the area, Hindus viewpoint is that he demolished every Temple and destroy them and built Mosque(masjid) over that place, Hindus demand that, survey of A.S.I (Archaeological Survey of India) Survey must be done on the site so that it can be ascertained whether the land belongs to Temple or the land belong to a Mosque(masjid).

Amidst this tension, the site is still in tension between these two religious groups to this day. Therefore, several cases were filed from 1991 till this date which shows that communal tension might increase over this Temple and Mosque controversy. Talking about the case history, V.H.P (Vishwa Hindu Parishad) started a campaign in 1984 to reclaim Mosques which were constructed over Temple by demolishing it. The Gyanvapi Mosque was included among them. In 1991 the suit to reclaim the Mosque property was filed by a Hindu priest and Hindu worshippers after which it sparked a controversy among these two religious groups.

The hearings started in civil court in June 1997. Places of Worship Act, 1991 then barred it. Places of Worship Act, 1991 is also in the news highlight these days because it also played a major role in this case. The case afterwards take slow movement until after 22 years it came back into the news headlines in 2018 when the petitioners cited a Supreme Court judgment which had held judicial stays to have a lifetime of six months unless explicitly extended, afterwards petitioners requested an A.S.I (Archaeological Survey of India) Survey to discover the evidence in their favour. A.I.M.P.L.B (All India Muslim Personal Law Board) spoke against the recommencement of trial in the High Court, they granted a stay and a question of law afterwards raised that, whether holding such practice would be barred by the Places of Worship Act, 1991. Even after this in April 2021 the request for a survey was granted and a five-member team of Archaeologists was sent to determine whether any Temple existed at the particular site or not before the Mosque(masjid) was built.

In May 2022 civil court while adjudicating, a fresh plea by 5 Hindu women to worship Gauri Shringar Mata, allowed the video survey of the site. The survey was conducted but muslims created a ruckus in the whole scenario. A.I.M.P.L.B claimed that the Shivling-like structure inside the Mosque is a stone fountain, and asked the Supreme Court for an indefinite stay on this matter as it violates the Places of Worship Act, 1991 and vacating all restrictions hereby imposed on the Mosque.

Conclusion

The Gyanvapi Mosque brings with it a long history of controversy between two major religious groups in our country. This tension built around this structure is a very immensely packed issue that strikes an imbalance between these two religious groups which often causes great violence and clashes between two religious groups.

In my opinion, history must remain where it belongs and these two religious groups should now stop fighting over this structure, let the court calmly decide this issue and the media trial of this case also must be stopped. Because of media trials, the sentiments of the religious groups many of the time hurt and they act violently and riot and atmosphere of unlawful activities created in that particular area. The problem between these two groups should be resolved and communal harmony must be maintained at all costs. This is just a building, not a thing over which one should fight the religious groups should settle this dispute amicably and come to a conclusion that both structures juxtaposed to each other can be built.

If both parties can’t do it then, they should leave it to the court’s discretion to decide the case and let the court settle this issue. With this, both groups should also agree to the decision given by the court and no violent attacks and bad remarks against any court should be passed, because the court is a place where the sanctity of every individual is maintained. Also, the media trial over this controversy must be stopped so that communal harmony and peace are maintained in the country.

References

[1] The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural-historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham who also became its first Director-General.

[2] The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) is an Indian right-wing Hindu organisation based on Hindu nationalism. The VHP was founded in 1964 by M. S. Golwalkar and S. S. Apte in collaboration with Swami Chinmayananda. Its stated objective is "to organise, consolidate the Hindu society and to serve and protect the Hindu Dharma". It was established to construct and renovate Hindu Temples and deal with matters of cow slaughter and religious conversion. The VHP is a member of the Sangh Parivar group, the family of Hindu nationalist organisations led by the RSS.

[3] The Places of Worship (Special Provision) Act, 1991 Act No. 42 of 1991

[4] All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) is a non-governmental organization in India that represents the interests of Muslims in matters of personal law. It was formed in 1973 to protect and promote the application of Islamic personal law among Muslims in India. The AIMPLB is primarily concerned with issues related to marriage, divorce, inheritance, and other personal matters governed by Islamic law, known as Shariah.

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