The counsel for the Hindu side on Wednesday showed to the Allahabad high court a map purportedly indicating existence of Hindu deities on the disputed site in Varanasi prior to demolition of a temple to build a mosque.
Hari Shankar Jain, the counsel appearing for the Hindu side, also told the court that these deities were regularly worshipped at their respective places till the year 1993 when this practice was stopped by an order issued by the then state government.
At present the people are allowed to worship once in a year only, he submitted before the court.
"So, the request of Hindu devotees for permission to regularly worship Shringar Gauri and other deities in the Gyanvapi mosque complex is fully justified," argued Jain.
The high court was hearing a revision petition filed by Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, the Gyanvapi mosque management committee, that has challenged a Varanasi court order turning down its objections to the maintainability of the suit filed by five Hindu women who sought permission to worship Shringar Gauri and other deities whose idols are located on an outer wall of the mosque.
As per the date fixed by the high court, the hearing of the case resumed on Wednesday.
However, after a brief hearing, Justice J J Munir directed to put up this case on December 8 for further hearing.
The district judge of Varanasi had on September 12 dismissed the plea filed under Order 7 Rule 11 of the Civil Procedure Code.
While rejecting the mosque management committee's plea, the Varanasi district judge had observed that the suit of the plaintiffs (five Hindu women) is not barred by the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, The Waqf Act 1995, and the UP Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Act, 1983 as was being claimed by the mosque committee.
The present revision petition has been filed by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid before the high court challenging the September 12 order on the ground that the suit before the Varanasi court is barred under the Places of Worship Act, 1991, which provides that no suit can be filed seeking conversion of any religious place as existed on August 15, 1947.
