Krishna Janmabhoomi dispute: HC approves survey of Shahi Idgah complex

The Allahabad High Court on Thursday allowed a survey of the 17th century Shahi Idgah Mosque in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura, similar to the one performed at the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi, by a court-appointed and monitored advocate commissioner.

The identity of the commissioner, as well as the modalities of the survey, will be decided on Monday, the court said.

Hindu outfits have alleged that the mosque was erected over Lord Krishna's birthplace and have demanded a survey. The demand was admitted by a local court in December of last year, but the Muslim side filed an objection before the High Court. The Muslim side is now expected to file an appeal with the Supreme Court against this ruling.

The Hindu side had filed a petition in a Mathura court demanding full ownership of the contested 13.37 acres of land, claiming the centuries-old mosque was built by demolishing the Katra Keshav Dev temple. They said it was ordered by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

The Hindu side claims, as evidence, the presence of carvings of lotuses on several walls of the mosque, as well as shapes allegedly resembling 'sheshnag' - the snake demigod in Hindu mythology. This, they had argued, shows the mosque was built over the temple.

The Muslim side had previously sought to dismiss the petition by referencing the Places of Worship Act of 1991, which maintains the religious status of any place of worship as it was on August 15, 1947.

In 1968, an agreement was signed between the Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan and the Shahi Masjid Idgah Trust, under which 10.9 acres of land was handed to the Krishna Janmabhoomi and the remaining 2.5 acres of land to the mosque.

There are a total of 18 cases in the High Court concerning the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Masjid dispute after the court transferred all pending suits before the local court in Mathura to itself.

(With agency input)