Gyanvapi mosque committee moves Allahabad High Court against Varanasi court's puja order

The committee overseeing the affairs of Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi on Thursday approached the Allahabad High Court, challenging the Varanasi District Court order allowing Hindus to perform prayers in the southern cellar of the mosque, Live Law news outlet reported

They have sought an urgent listing of the plea.

It comes a day after the Supreme Court declined to entertain the committee’s urgent application seeking a status quo in the matter and asked their counsel to approach the high court. Earlier in the day, prayers were performed before the idols in the 'Vyas Tehkhana'.

Kashi Vishwanath temple trust president Nagendra Pandey told PTI news agency that prayers were performed in the basement. "It was necessary to follow the court's orders, so the district administration made all the arrangements with great promptness," Pandey said.

District Magistrate S Rajlingam said, "I have complied with the court's order."

Some locals claimed that after cleaning the cellar, an 'aarti' of Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Ganesh was performed.

Official sources in the district administration told PTI news agency that at around 9.30 pm on Wednesday, the members of the Kashi-Vishwanath temple trust were called and the barricades before the Nandi statue facing the mosque's 'wazukhana' were removed.

The court had directed the local administration to make arrangements within seven days for prayers in the cellar. This will involve "proper arrangements" with metal barricades at the complex, it said.

(With inputs from agencies)