’Large Hindu temple existed before’: Archaeological Survey’s Gyanvapi report

mangaloretoday.com

Varanasi, Jan 26, 2024: A recent report by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) suggests the existence of a large Hindu temple structure at the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi, advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, representing the Hindu side, said while reading out the survey report on Thursday.

 

While addressing a press conference, Jain said that the ASI survey points towards the presence of a large Hindu temple that predates the current structure.

The ASI report, which included a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey, has questions about the historical layers on the site. The current structure, according to Jain, seems to have been built upon a pre-existing structure.

"The ASI findings suggest that modifications were made to the mosque, reusing pillars and plaster with minor alterations. Some pillars from the Hindu temple were slightly modified for use in the new structure. Attempts were made to remove the carvings on the pillars," Jain said, citing the ASI report.

The report, Jain claimed, also revealed that inscriptions were discovered that belong to the ancient Hindu temple, written in Devanagari, Telugu, Kannada, and other scripts.

"The ASI has said that during the survey, a number of inscriptions were noticed on the existing and preexisting structure. A total of 34 inscriptions were recorded during the present survey and 32 stamped pages were taken," Jain said while reading out the report.

"These are in fact inscriptions on the stone of a pre-existing Hindu temple which have been reused during the construction and repair of the existing structure," he added.

"The reuse of earlier inscriptions in the structure suggests that the earlier structures were destroyed and their parts were reused in the construction repair of the existing structure. Three names of deities such as Janardana, Rudra and Umeshwara are found in these inscriptions," the senior advocate added.

The revelations come a day after a Varanasi court ruled that the ASI survey report on the Gyanvapi mosque complex adjoining the Kashi Vishwanath temple must be given to both the Hindu and Muslim sides.

Last year, ASI carried out a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi premises to determine whether the mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.

The ASI survey was ordered by the court after the Hindu petitioners claimed the 17th-century mosque was constructed over a pre-existing temple.

Courtesy: India Today