In Mathura's Krishna Janmabhoomi Land Dispute, Court Gives Nod For Survey

The Allahabad High Court on Thursday afternoon greenlit a survey of the 17th century Shahi Idgah Mosque in Uttar Pradesh's Mathura - along the lines of that conducted 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 claimed the mosque was built on the birthplace of Lord Krishna and had demanded a survey. The demand was admitted by a local court in December last year but the Muslim side had filed an objection in the High Court. The Muslims side is now expected to approach 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 that stood there earlier. They alleged this was ordererd by Mughal emperer Aurangzeb.

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

The Muslim side had earlier sought to dismiss the petition by citing 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 given for 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 to itself all pending suits before the local court in Mathura.