VARANASI: In a late-night development on Wednesday, the district magistrate ensured compliance with the order of the district judge to begin worshiping in the southern cellar of Gyanvapi mosque.
On Thursday, the DM and receiver of the southern cellar, S Rajalingam, stated, "Compliance with the court order was ensured on Thursday night when a priest arranged by the Kashi Vishwanath temple trust performed the Shayan Arti of the deities inside the southern cellar. A gate was also installed after cutting steel grills near the southern cellar doors."
Officials confirmed that the Mangla Arti ritual was also performed early Thursday morning. On Wednesday afternoon, the district judge had allowed the worship of deities inside the southern cellar of Gyanvapi mosque by priests to be appointed by the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust (SKVTT) board.
The court issued this order on the plea of the head priest of the Acharya Ved Vyas Peeth temple, Shailendra Kumar Pathak Vyas, seeking worship of Shringar Gauri and other visible and invisible deities in the cellar of Gyanvapi mosque. Prior to this, the court had already appointed the DM as the receiver of the southern cellar of Gyanvapi on January 17, and the latter had taken custody of this cellar on January 23.
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