On Wednesday, while giving a big verdict in the Gyanvapi case, the court has ordered the Hindu side to have the right to worship in the Vyas basement. This decision was given by the court of Varanasi District Judge Dr. Ajay Krishna Vishwesh. It has also been said in the order that preparations should be made for the puja in Vyas basement within 7 days. The court has given the responsibility to the plaintiff and the Kashi Vishwanath Trust Board for conducting the puja in the Vyas basement.
According to the court order, regular puja is to start in Vyas basement after 7 days i.e. one week. Who will worship in Vyas basement? And where will the priests be? Discussion has started on this. The court has said in its order that the puja should be conducted by the priests of Vishwanath temple. Its responsibility has also been handed over to the Kashi Vishwanath Trust Board along with the plaintiff.
Before 1993, Vyas family used to worship in the basement.
However, the plaintiff Shailendra Pathak, who filed the petition in the court, had claimed that Somnath Vyas used to worship the idol of the deity in the Vyas basement. His family has been performing puja here. Pathak had sought permission from the court for the Vyas family to perform puja in the basement. The plaintiff Shailendra Pathak himself comes from the Vyas family. He is the grandson of Somnath Vyas. This family lives in Shivpur, Banaras. Sources say that Shailendra Pathak will be the priest in Vyas basement! This is being claimed because his family has been performing puja in the Vyas basement before 1993. At the same time, Vyas Tahkhana is associated with Shaiva tradition, so worship will be done here according to this tradition.
The priest will be selected by the plaintiff and Kashi Vishwanath Trust Board.
According to PTI-language report, Hindu side’s lawyer Madan Mohan Yadav says that the court of District Judge Ajay Krishna Vishwesh has given the right to perform puja in the basement to Vyas ji’s grandson Shailendra Pathak. He told that the order states that ‘District Magistrate Varanasi/Receiver is directed to hand over settlement plot no. The basement situated on the south side of the building situated at 9130 Police Station-Chowk, District Varanasi, which is the property in dispute, should get puja, raga-bhog, worship of the idols located in the basement done by the plaintiff and the priest designated by the Kashi Vishwanath Trust Board and for this purpose. For this, make proper arrangements in iron fence etc. within seven days. Madan Mohan Yadav told that the work of conducting puja in Vyas basement will be done by Kashi Vishwanath Trust.
