Supreme Court defers scientific survey on "Shivling" in Gyanvapi
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New Delhi: The Supreme Court deferred Allahabad High Court's order directing scientific survey such as carbon dating to determine the age of Shivling" which was said to have been found at the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, PTI reported.
It was on May 12 the Allahabad HC ordered to determine the age of the Shivling using modern technology.
However, according to the mosque authorities, the structure is part of a fountain in the 'wazu khana', where worshipers take ablutions before prayers.
A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud issued notices to the Centre, the Uttar Pradesh government and the Hindu petitioners on the mosque panel's plea against the high court order for the scientific survey and carbon dating of "Shivling".
The bench, which also comprised Justices P S Narasimha and K V Vishwanathan, said, "Since the implications of the impugned order merit closer scrutiny, the implementation of the directions concerned in the order shall stand deferred till the next date."
The apex court was hearing a plea challenging the Allahabad High Court order for conducting the "scientific survey. So far, both the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government has agreed to postpone the survey.
Against the Varanasi district court's order denying pleas demanding a scientific survey, the Allahabad High Court on May 12 directed the Archaeological Survey of India to run it on the structure, which Hindu petitioners claim is a "Shivling" inside the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi.
Last year, five Hindu women approached the court for year-long access to pray at a shrine inside the mosque complex, and a court ordered a video survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex. The video pictured the disputed structure.