Varanasi: A plea to include the "wazookhana" in the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex has been denied by a Varanasi court.
In its ruling on Saturday, the court stated that the ASI survey would be in violation of the Supreme Court's directives about a "non-invasive methodology" if "wazookhana," a little reservoir used by Muslim devotees for ceremonial ablutions, were included.
The ASI is carrying out a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi complex located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi to determine whether the 17th-century mosque was constructed over a pre-existing temple.
The ASI survey began in July after the Allahabad High Court upheld a Varanasi district court order and ruled that the step is "necessary in the interest of justice" and will benefit both the Hindu and Muslim sides.
The ASI has been granted time till November 6 to complete the survey.
With inputs from IANS