NEW DELHI: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has said that a large Hindu temple may have once exisited at the site of the Gyanvapi mosque in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi, the Hindu side said after receiving a detailed survey report.
Earlier, both the Hindu and Muslim sides in the dispute had applied for copies of the ASI survey report on the Gyanvapi mosque complex adjoining the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

“According to the ASI, it can be said that there existed a large Hindu Temple prior to the construction of the existing structure. This is the conclusive finding of the ASI,” advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, who is representing the Hindu side, said at a press conference.
Quoting the report, Jain said that mosque’s western wall is part of the Hindu temple.
He further added that as many as 32 Hindu temple inscriptions were found on pillars in Devanagri, Telugu and Kannada.
“There were attempts made to erase the symbols on temple pillars,” Jain added, citing the ASI report.
Following an order of the district court passed on July 21 last year, ASI carried out a scientific survey of the Gyanvapi premises to determine whether the mosque was constructed over a pre-existing structure of a Hindu temple.
The survey was ordered by the court after the Hindu petitioners claimed the 17th-century mosque was constructed over a pre-existing temple.
The ASI had submitted its survey report to the district court in a sealed cover on December 18.