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Gyanvapi Mosque: Allahabad high court allows carbon-dating of ‘Shivling’ at Gyanvapi mosque | India News
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NEW DELHI: Allahabad high court on Friday allowed carbon-dating of the ‘Shivling’ at Gyanvapi mosque in Uttar Pradesh.
The court ordered the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct the carbon dating process of the ‘Shivling’ found in the premises of the mosque, without causing any damage to the structure.
It set aside an October 14 order of the Varanasi district court that rejected a plea for scientific investigation, including carbon dating, of the structure.
Justice Arvind Kumar Mishra passed the order on a revision petition challenging the Varanasi court order.
The mosque authorities say it is part of a fountain in the ‘wazu khana’, where ablutions are performed before namaz.
The pond complex of the mosque was sealed on May 16, 2022, after a purported ‘Shivling’ was found in the pond during a court commission survey on the same day.
In April, the court had rapped ASI director general V Vidyavathi for failing to file a report regarding carbon dating of the purported Shivling found inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex despite being given several chances.
It had termed the ASI DG’s inaction as “lethargic attitude”, and said – “Inaction appears to have hampered the proceedings of this court on the point of consideration and disposal of this revision.
Earlier, on March 20, while expressing displeasure over non-filing of response by the ASI, despite eight weeks’ time given to it, the high court, had granted one last chance to the ASI to file its response by then to clarify whether the carbon dating of the object (purported Shivling) could damage it or safe evaluation of its age can be done.
In November last year, it sought the response of the ASI in the matter and directed the DG to submit the opinion whether investigation of the said structure, if examined through carbon dating, ground-penetrating radar (GPR), excavation and other methods adopted to determine its age, nature and other relevant information.
Carbon dating is a method of calculating the age of very old objects by measuring the amounts of different forms of carbon in them.
(With inputs from agencies)
The court ordered the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct the carbon dating process of the ‘Shivling’ found in the premises of the mosque, without causing any damage to the structure.
It set aside an October 14 order of the Varanasi district court that rejected a plea for scientific investigation, including carbon dating, of the structure.
Justice Arvind Kumar Mishra passed the order on a revision petition challenging the Varanasi court order.
The mosque authorities say it is part of a fountain in the ‘wazu khana’, where ablutions are performed before namaz.
The pond complex of the mosque was sealed on May 16, 2022, after a purported ‘Shivling’ was found in the pond during a court commission survey on the same day.
In April, the court had rapped ASI director general V Vidyavathi for failing to file a report regarding carbon dating of the purported Shivling found inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex despite being given several chances.
It had termed the ASI DG’s inaction as “lethargic attitude”, and said – “Inaction appears to have hampered the proceedings of this court on the point of consideration and disposal of this revision.
Earlier, on March 20, while expressing displeasure over non-filing of response by the ASI, despite eight weeks’ time given to it, the high court, had granted one last chance to the ASI to file its response by then to clarify whether the carbon dating of the object (purported Shivling) could damage it or safe evaluation of its age can be done.
In November last year, it sought the response of the ASI in the matter and directed the DG to submit the opinion whether investigation of the said structure, if examined through carbon dating, ground-penetrating radar (GPR), excavation and other methods adopted to determine its age, nature and other relevant information.
Carbon dating is a method of calculating the age of very old objects by measuring the amounts of different forms of carbon in them.
(With inputs from agencies)
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