Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court on Friday set aside the order of the district judge of Varanasi in the Kashi Vishwanath Gyanvapi Masjid dispute case and ordered to proceed with the process of determining the age of the alleged Shivling on the basis of modern methods. Gave.
Justice Arvind Kumar Mishra passed the order on a revision petition challenging the October 14, 2022 order passed by the District Judge, Varanasi. The order states that the SI will have to conduct a scientific survey without damaging the alleged Shivling. It will have to be ascertained through a scientific survey how old the alleged Shivling is. Is it really a Shivling or something else?
The hearing of this matter has taken place in a single bench of Justice Arvind Kumar Mishra. This decision by the court has come on the petition filed for the demand of getting the scientific survey of the alleged Shivling done through carbon dating. The Archaeological Survey of India submitted its report to the court yesterday in a sealed cover. The order of the district judge of Varanasi was challenged in a petition filed on behalf of the women of the Hindu side.
The High Court, in its order, said that the process of determining the period should be carried forward on the basis of modern methods without damaging the Shivling. The court had also sought reports from various institutions in this regard. The report submitted by IIT Roorkee states that direct carbon dating of the lingam is not possible and the age can be determined with proxy dating of the material. For this a detailed study of the materials surrounding the Shivling is necessary.
This report further suggested that the dating of some organic materials below the surface could determine the age, but those organic materials needed to be related to the Shivalinga. The court directed the District Judge of Varanasi to take action in accordance with the law on the application of Hindu devotees to conduct a scientific examination of the alleged Shivling. With this direction of the court, the way was cleared for carbon dating and scientific dating of that structure.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in its 52-page report has given expert opinion that the structure can be dated scientifically without causing any damage. This opinion is based on studies done by IIT Kanpur, IIT Roorkee, Birbal Sahni Institute Lucknow, and another educational institute.
