The Allahabad High Court has deferred its decision on a petition challenging the Varanasi district court’s ruling permitting Hindu prayers to be conducted in a cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque. Justice Rohit Ranjan Agrawal presided over the appeal filed by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid committee, the administrative body overseeing the mosque adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi. SFA Naqvi, the committee’s legal representative, confirmed that the court has reserved its judgment following the conclusion of the hearing.

The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid committee lodged the appeal with the high court on February 2, shortly after the Supreme Court declined to entertain its plea against the Varanasi district court’s decision and directed it to seek recourse through the high court. On January 31, the Varanasi district court had decreed that a Hindu priest could conduct prayers in front of the idols situated in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi mosque.

The dispute over religious practices at the Gyanvapi mosque, a site of historical and religious significance, has sparked tensions and legal battles between Hindu and Muslim groups. The outcome of the Allahabad High Court’s impending ruling will be closely watched as it carries implications for the religious rights and heritage preservation in the region.