Page 11 - Varanasi

Gyanvapi row: ASI survey underway at mosque complex amid tight security

The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid committee has challenged the ruling in the Supreme Court (SC), a request that will be heard later today

Gyanvapi row: ASI team starts work on survey of mosque complex in Varanasi

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) began working on a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi premises here on Friday to determine whether the 17th-century mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple. The survey began at around 7 am, ASI sources said. The ASI team members, along with the representatives of the Hindu petitioners to a legal dispute involving the mosque, were present inside the complex under watertight security arrangements. The members of the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid committee have boycotted the survey. The representatives of the committee who were to accompany the ASI team for the survey abstained from doing so. The survey began after the Allahabad High Court on Thursday upheld a Varanasi district court order and ruled that the proposed step is "necessary in the interest of justice" and will benefit both sides. The order came after the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid committee, representing the Muslim side to the legal dispute, moved the Supreme

Allahabad HC allows ASI to conduct survey of Gyanvapi mosque complex

The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee had challenged the Varanasi District Judge's July 21 order

UP BJP welcomes HC order on Gyanvapi survey, says it will bring out truth

The Uttar Pradesh BJP on Thursday welcomed the Allahabad High Court order allowing an ASI survey on the Gyanvapi mosque premises and said the exercise will bring out the truth. This is an issue related to the faith of crores of people, BJP state president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary said in a tweet in Hindi. Earlier in the day, the Allahabad High Court dismissed a petition filed by the Gyanvapi committee challenging a district court order directing the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a survey on the mosque premises to determine if it was built upon a temple. It said the district court order is just and proper, and no interference from this court is warranted. Reacting to the court order, Chaudhary said, "We welcome the decision of the Hon'ble high court on the Gyanvapi issue. Everyone should cooperate and accept the decision of the honourable court. The survey will bring out the truth." "Whatever is being reflected directly in Gyanvapi is a historical truth and a mat

Allahabad HC reserves till Aug 3 verdict on ASI survey of Gyanvapi complex

The Allahabad High Court on Thursday reserved till August 3 its verdict on a plea against a Varanasi district court order directing the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a survey to determine if the Gyanvapi mosque was built upon a temple. The court of Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker also ordered that the stay on the ASI survey will continue till August 3. The high court was hearing the plea filed by Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, which manages the mosque. Appearing for the state of Uttar Pradesh, Advocate General Ajai Mishra said the state government is there to maintain law and order and that it has no concern with the survey. The counsel for the Hindu side, Vishnu Shankar Jain, submitted that the district court has called for an ASI survey to come to a logical conclusion. He also presented in the court some photographs of the western side of the mosque showing the existence of Hindu idols and their worship. Earlier, when the hearing started in the case, ASI Additional Directo

HC extends stay on ASI survey of Gyanvapi mosque premises till Thursday

The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday extended the stay on a survey of the Gyanvapi mosque premises by the Archaeological Survey of India till Thursday. After hearing a plea by Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, which manages the mosque, against the ASI survey, Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker posted the matter for further hearing on Thursday. The court ordered that the stay on the ASI survey will continue till then. The hearing of the case will resume at 3:30 pm on Thursday. On Wednesday, the matter was heard by the court in the morning session and hearing resumed at 4:30 in the evening. During the hearing in the evening, ASI officials were also called in the court. Arguments in the matter were presented by the mosque management committee and the Hindu side.

Gyanvapi mosque management moves Allahabad high court over ASI survey

The Allahabad High Court on Tuesday began hearing a plea against a district court order directing the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a survey to determine if the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi was built upon a temple. The plea is being heard in the court of Prakash Padia. On Monday, the Supreme Court had halted the ASI survey till 5 pm Wednesday, allowing time for the mosque management to appeal against the lower court's order. The mosque is located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple and Hindu litigants in the district court had sought the survey to determine whether a temple existed at the same spot earlier. The Varanasi district court had ordered the ASI Friday to conduct a survey using technologies like ground penetrating radar and excavations, if necessary. The apex court order to pause the survey came while the ASI team was inside the complex.

New saga of development in Varanasi during Modi govt: CM Yogi Adityanath

Referring to the revolutionary changes that have taken place in the telecom sector, he said, "With reforms the market grows and a new story of development is written.''

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ASI team enters Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi to carry out scientific survey

Varanasi Police Commissioner Ashok Mutha Jain and the DM held a meeting with both the Hindu and Muslim sides to the dispute on Sunday night to share information about the survey with them

Varanasi court orders scientific survey of Gyanvapi mosque: Govt counsel

A Varanasi court on Friday ordered a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple here, according to government counsel Rajesh Mishra. The barricaded wazukhana', where a structure claimed by Hindu litigants to be a shivling' exists, will not be part of the survey. The court of A K Vishvesh upheld the petition of a group of Hindu devotees seeking a scientific survey to determine if the mosque was built at the site of a Hindu temple. The court had on July 14 reserved its order after hearing both Hindu and Muslim sides. The petition filed by the Hindu group had sought a direction to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to survey the entire Gyanvapi mosque complex. The Muslims side had opposed the plea, saying an ASI survey could damage the complex.

Varanasi court reserves order for Jul 21 on plea for Gyanvapi mosque survey

A court here on Friday reserved its order for July 21 on a petition seeking a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque located next to the Kashi Vishwanath temple. The petition filed by the Hindu side of the case had sought a direction to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to survey the entire Gyanvapi mosque complex. "We had put before the court the demand for an archaeological and scientific investigation of the entire Gyanvapi complex except the 'vajukhana'. After hearing both sides, the court reserved the verdict for July 21," said Vishnu Shankar Jain, the counsel for the Hindu side. Jain said he argued that the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque dispute can be resolved only by an archaeological investigation of the entire mosque complex.

Varanasi grocer hires bouncers to guard tomatoes as prices continue to soar

A vegetable seller in the Lanka area of Varanasi has deployed two bouncers to prevent buyers from getting aggressive while haggling the tomato prices, which have soared almost across the country, virtually making them a luxury item. Ajay Fauji, a Samajwadi Party worker, had earlier cut a tomato-shaped cake in Varanasi on the birthday of Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav. "I kept hearing about arguments over the tomato price among people. People at my shop too tried to haggle. So to put an end to the constant arguments, I decided to deploy bouncers in uniform at my cart," Fauji told PTI. Fauji, who is selling tomatoes at Rs 140-160 per kg, has bouncers deployed at his cart from 9 am to 5 pm. He, however, refused to reveal how much he hired them for. "No one will provide bouncers free of cost." Asked how keeping bouncers at his cart has helped him, Fauji said even though people are coming in same numbers, they are less militant about the pricing now. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav

PM Modi unveils 29 development projects worth Rs 12,000 crore in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday unveiled 29 development projects worth Rs 12,100 crores in his Varanasi parliamentary constituency. Arriving here from Gorakhpur, the prime minister launched the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction-Son Nagar railway line of the Dedicated Freight Corridor. Built at a cost of more than Rs 6,760 crore, the new line will facilitate faster and more efficient movement of goods. He also laid the foundation stones or inaugurated several other projects for Varanasi and adjoining districts. Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were present during the programme. Earlier in Gorakhpur, the prime minister attended the centenary celebrations of Gita Press and launched two Vande Bharat Express trains.

PM Modi to address public meeting during two-day visit to Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, beginning Friday to address a public meeting and announce funding for projects. The PM will address a rally in Wajidpur and announce Rs 12,148 crore in funding towards several projects underway in the district. He will stay the night in Bareka and will attend a "tiffin meeting" with the BJP workers. "The PM will lay the foundation stone of schemes worth Rs 1,800 crore and inaugurate schemes worth about 10,000 crore," Divisional Commissioner, Varanasi, Kaushal Raj Sharma said. "Rejuvenation of Manikarnika Ghat, an International Cricket Stadium, three railway overbridges, repair and construction of 96 roads, and a 10-storey international hostel built in BHU will be dedicated to the public," he said. The Prime Minister is also likely to flag off water taxis, he said. BJP District President Hansraj Vishwakarma said the entire city has been spruced up ahead of the PM's visit. Vishwaka

Now you can use FASTag on car to pay for parking spot at Varanasi airport

Airtel Payments Bank, a FASTag issuer, has collaborated with Park+ to enable FASTag-based smart parking solution at Varanasi's Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport. The FASTag-based smart parking solution enables automatic cashless payments at airport parking, making vehicle movement in the parking zone frictionless and time efficient. The parking fee payment is deducted through the valid FASTag associated with the vehicle, a process that reduces time required to make the payment. A statement announcing the collaboration between Airtel Payments Bank and Park+ said with this, the local residents can now use the FASTag on their car to pay for a parking spot at the Varanasi airport. The two entities are working together to streamline the payment process by reducing the time spent in queues at major parking lots across the country and will soon make the service live at other city airports also. Ganesh Ananthanarayanan, Chief Operating Officer of Airtel Payments Bank said with the partnership,

PM Modi to visit Varanasi on July 7, to inaugurate various projects

At the same time, the Prime Minister may also lay the foundation stone for the restoration and redevelopment work of Manikarnika Ghat, which is considered to be the salvation place in Kashi

Land acquisition for cricket stadium in Varanasi completed: UP govt

Land acquisition has been completed for the proposed international cricket stadium in Varanasi that is expected to be ready by the end of 2024, the Uttar Pradesh government said in a statement here on Monday. The stadium in the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have a seating capacity of 30,000 and will be built at a cost of nearly Rs 350 crore. The land acquisition process got expedited in September 2022. The UP Cabinet had approved Rs 120 crore for the purchase of land from 31 farmers, the statement said. The stadium will be operated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Under a long-term lease agreement, the BCCI will assume responsibility for the stadium's operation and management. The Board will also contribute a fixed annual amount to the government in exchange for the lease. "Approximately Rs 350 crore will be spent in the construction of this stadium, which is being built on a wide campus of about 31 acres," the statement said.

Jaishankar welcomes delegates at G20 Development Ministers' Meeting

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar welcomed delegates at the venue for the G20 Development Ministers' Meeting in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi. The event that began on Sunday will continue till June 13

Jaishankar meets UN trade official on sidelines of G20 meeting in Varanasi

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday held meetings with various dignitaries on the sidelines of the G20 development ministers' meeting in Varanasi