Supreme Court grants permission to clean the water tank having Shivalinga in Varanasi’s Gyanvapi

Varanasi (UP) – The Supreme Court has granted permission to clean the water tank in the Gyanvapi mosque, where a Shivalinga was discovered. The cleaning process will be conducted under the supervision of the District Collector. Simultaneously, the Court has emphasised that the structural integrity, such as that of the Shivalinga, must not be compromised during the cleaning. Currently, neither the Court nor the Archaeology Department has officially acknowledged the object as a Shivalinga. The Hindu plaintiffs had requested the cleaning of the tank due to the unpleasant odour caused by dead fish. This tank has not undergone cleaning since May 2022. The Muslim party did not oppose the demand made by the Hindu plaintiffs.