Court allows Mathura temple survey: what's Krishna Janmabhoomi dispute

A survey of the Shahi Idgah premises next to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura will be conduted after the Allahabad High Court gave its nod.

The survey will be conducted by advocate commissioners.

The petition was filed by the deity (Bhagwan Sri Krishna Virajman) and seven others through advocates Hari Shankar Jain, Vishnu Shankar Jain, Prabhash Pandey and Devki Nandan, claiming that Lord Sri Krishna's birthplace lies beneath the mosque and that there are many signs which establish that the mosque was a Hindu temple.

According to advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, in the application, it was submitted that there exists a lotus-shaped pillar which is characteristic of Hindu temples and an image of 'Sheshnaag', one of the Hindu deities who protected Lord Krishna on the night of his birth, is also present there.

It was also submitted that at the base of the pillar of the mosque, Hindu religious symbols and engravings were also visible.

The applicant has requested that a commission may be appointed with specific directions to submit its report after conducting a survey within some stipulated time period. A further direction was sought for photography and videography of the entire proceedings.

According to the plaintiffs' counsel, the factual aspects of the disputed structure have to be brought before the court for proper adjudication of the dispute as without the factual position of the disputed areas, the effective adjudication of the case is not possible.

The high court in May this year transferred to itself all the suits pending before the Mathura court praying for various reliefs pertaining to the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah mosque dispute.

(with PTI inputs)