A local court in Varanasi allowed a survey of the entire Gyanvapi Mosque complex, adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to find out "whether the religious structure standing at the present and disputed site is a superimposition, alteration or addition, or there is structural overlapping of any kind".
The order came just over a year after the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya, saying there will be a Ram Mandir at the disputed site and Muslims will be given an alternate 5-acre land for their mosque. In its order, the court of civil judge (senior division), Ashutosh Tiwari, directed the ASI director general to constitute a five-member committee of eminent persons who are experts and well-versed in the science of archaeology, two of whom should preferably belong to the minority community.
The court also directed the DG to appoint an eminent and highly experienced person, who can be regarded as expert in the science of archaeology, to act as observer. "Such person should preferably be a scholarly personality and established academician of any central university," it said.
The five-member committee shall submit a report of its survey work to the observer on a daily basis. The court further said the "committee shall prepare comprehensive documentation along with the drawing, plan, elevation, site map with precise breadth and width of the disputed site, marked with hatched lines in the plaint map".
“The purpose of the archaeological survey shall be to find out as to whether the religious structure standing at the present and disputed site is a superimposition, alteration or addition or there is structural overlapping of any kind. If so, then what exactly is the age, size, monumental and architectural design or style of the religious structure, and what material has been used for building the same," the court said.
For that purpose, the committee shall be entitled to enter into every portion of the religious structure, the order said. The committee shall first resort to ground penetrating radar or geo-radiology system or both to satisfy itself as to whether any excavation or extraction work is needed in any portion.
