NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday objected to Varanasi's Gyanvapi being referred to as a Muslim place of worship and said that it is rather Vishwanath (Lord Shiva).
"Unfortunately, people call Gyanvapi a mosque, but it is actually Vishwanath himself," CM Yogi said while addressing an event in Gorakhpur.
Yogi Adityanath contended that devotees see the uncertainty around its true identity or name as the biggest obstacle. "If our society had ever understood and identified this hurdle in the past, our country would have never been colonised,"the chief minister added.
The chief minister also cited a story from Hindu mythology about Adi Shankaracharya's meeting with Lord Shiva in Kashi, which is now reffered to as Varanasi.
The statement from the UP chief minister came a day after a Varanasi court rejected the Hindu side's request to repair and restore the "Vyas Ka Tahkhana" and stop the gathering of namazis over it. The court's decision followed a petition by the Hindu side, which sought repairs to the basement, while considering objections from the Muslim side and related cases pending before the Supreme Court.
The Hindu side contends that a temple once existed at the contested Gyanvapi mosque site, which they claim was demolished in the 17th century by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb—a claim denied by the Muslim side.
In February, a Varanasi court granted Hindu devotees permission to worship inside the sealed basement of the Gyanvapi mosque. According to the court order, they were allowed to offer prayers at 'Vyas Ka Tekhana', a restricted area within the mosque.
"Unfortunately, people call Gyanvapi a mosque, but it is actually Vishwanath himself," CM Yogi said while addressing an event in Gorakhpur.
Yogi Adityanath contended that devotees see the uncertainty around its true identity or name as the biggest obstacle. "If our society had ever understood and identified this hurdle in the past, our country would have never been colonised,"the chief minister added.
The chief minister also cited a story from Hindu mythology about Adi Shankaracharya's meeting with Lord Shiva in Kashi, which is now reffered to as Varanasi.
ज्ञानवापी को आज लोग दूसरे शब्दों में मस्जिद कहते हैं,
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) September 14, 2024
लेकिन ज्ञानवापी साक्षात 'विश्वनाथ' ही हैं... pic.twitter.com/njo9Fk03Xe
The statement from the UP chief minister came a day after a Varanasi court rejected the Hindu side's request to repair and restore the "Vyas Ka Tahkhana" and stop the gathering of namazis over it. The court's decision followed a petition by the Hindu side, which sought repairs to the basement, while considering objections from the Muslim side and related cases pending before the Supreme Court.
The Hindu side contends that a temple once existed at the contested Gyanvapi mosque site, which they claim was demolished in the 17th century by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb—a claim denied by the Muslim side.
In February, a Varanasi court granted Hindu devotees permission to worship inside the sealed basement of the Gyanvapi mosque. According to the court order, they were allowed to offer prayers at 'Vyas Ka Tekhana', a restricted area within the mosque.
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