Wazukhana tank in sealed Gyanvapi mosque portion cleaned in Varanasi
The cleaning of a sealed portion of Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, India, was carried out under tight security after a Supreme Court order. The tank was cleaned in around three-and-a-half hours, with 70 dead fish and 40 live fish being handed over to the AIMC, which manages the mosque. The tank was sealed in May 2022 after a dispute between the Hindu and Muslim sides over the nature of a structure found within it. The live fish will be released into another mosque's tank in Varanasi.
Following the January 16 order of the Supreme Court, the cleaning of tank (hauz) in the sealed Wazukhana (ablution area) of Gyanvapi mosque here was carried out under the supervision of Varanasi district magistrate S Rajalingam on Saturday (January 20) amid tight security. It was completed in around three-and-a-half hours.
The plaintiffs, defendant Anjuman Intezamia Masajid Committee (AIMC) and its joint secretary SM Yasin were also present during the cleaning work. After the cleaning, the portion was sealed again and 40 live fish were handed to the AIMC, which manages the Gyanvapi mosque, the district authorities said.
The above-mentioned portion of the mosque was sealed at the order of a court in May 2022 after the Hindu side claimed that a ‘Shivlinga’ was found in Wazukhana, whereas the Muslim side called the structure a fountain.
According to a senior official, the Varanasi DM along with a team of administrative officials entered the mosque premises at around 9am. Then after, the sealed area was opened in the presence of counsel for the plaintiffs of Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi case, Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi, Sudhir Tripathi besides the office bearers of defendant AIMC.
A team of 26 people, including Varanasi Nagar Nigam workers and officials of fisheries department, started the cleaning of the tank. Using three pumping sets, the water was drained out of the tank, dead fish were removed and alive fish were taken out and handed to the AIMC, said an official.
“In compliance with the Supreme Court order, cleaning of the Wazukhana tank of Gyanvapi mosque was done on Saturday. During the cleaning, some live fish were found in the tank and given to the AIMC (office bearers). After completion of the cleaning, the Wazukhana was sealed (again),” said Varanasi DM S Rajalingam.
Joint secretary, AIMC, SM Yasin said, “Proper cleaning of the tank was done. There were 70 dead fish in the tank while 40 others were alive. The administration handed over alive fishes to us. We will get these fish released in a tank of any other mosque in Varanasi.”
Counsel for the Hindu side, Subhash Nandan Chaturvedi, said, “People from both sides were present during the cleaning work.” Earlier, advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain had filed a plea on behalf of four Hindu women plaintiffs, seeking a direction to the district magistrate to clean the tank because the fish there were dead.
On January 16, the Supreme Court allowed the plea after Hindu plaintiffs said cleaning of the tank was needed because fish were dead and a foul smell was emitting from the tank. The AIMC also said most fish in the tank were dead and that cleaning was needed to save the fish which are alive.
