Thousands of Muslims had surrounded our vehicle while going for the survey of Gyanvapi

Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain representing  the Hindus in the Gyanvapi case shares his memories

Historian Vikram Sampat to pen down the memories in a book

Varanasi, UP – “In 2022, my father H. H. (Adv.) Hari Shankar Jain, a senior advocate practising in the Supreme Court, and I faced many challenges when we were going for the survey of the controversial Gyanvapi complex. Nearly 50-60,000 Muslims surrounded our vehicle to oppose Gyanvapi’s survey. I felt quite helpless at that time,” recalled advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain while remembering his stressful experiences. Historian Vikram Sampat will pen down advocate Jain’s memories in his forthcoming book on Kashi.

Anand Ranganathan published a part of his interview on X on the 5th of November 2023. Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain and H. H. Hari Shankar Jain are representing the Hindu petitioners in the Gyanvapi case. While narrating the happenings of the day, on which the survey of the controversial Gyanvapi was to be conducted as per the Court’s order, advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain said, “The memories of that day are etched in my heart. It was the 5th or the 6th of May 2022. The Secretary of the ‘Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee’ declared that the survey and video recording of Gyanvapi would not be allowed. About 50-60,000 Muslims took to the streets on his appeal, and they blocked all the roads up to the 4th gate of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple. They were wearing skull caps and different kinds of attire. My father and I were going towards the 4th gate in a car. For a moment, we felt that we would never reach Gyanvapi. We would be attacked and wouldn’t be allowed to reach Gate No. 4. I looked helplessly at my father. He calmly told me, whether dead or alive, we are going to meet Deity Mahadev today. So move on and that was my inspiration.” He further said that the survey team not only found a Shivalinga in the Gyanvapi complex but also found Swastik, Nandi, and many forms of Hindu Deities carved in lotus, on the walls of the Gyanvapi.

Court orders to stop Gyanvapi survey

The Court ordered to stop the survey since the Muslim mob prevented the survey team from entering the Gyanvapi complex. One video-shooter disclosed findings of Swastik, Nandi, and Hindu Deities’ forms carved in lotus after the survey was stopped for the day. Later, the survey was conducted on the 16th of May 2022 and Shivalinga was found at the Gyanvapi complex. On finding the Shivalinga, the Supreme Court ordered the District Collector of Varanasi to provide protection to the sacred complex of Gyanvapi. On the 3rd of August 2023, Allahabad High Court dismissed the petition filed by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee challenging the survey of Gyanvapi by the Archaeological Survey of India and granted permission to conduct the survey.