The Gyanvapi arises out of an ongoing civil court case involving conflicting claims over the religious character of the Gyanvapi compound.
The Muslim side has opposed this claim and maintained that Muslims have always had possession over the Mosque's building.
On the other hand, the Muslim side has maintained that the Mosque predated Aurangzeb's reign and that it had endured various alterations over time.
The Hindu parties have claimed in their suit that the Hindu character of the land in question did not change even if the temple structure was later torn down on Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's orders to erect a mosque.
They have sought the restoration of the ancient temple (Lord Vishweshwar temple) there, and defended their 1991 suit on the ground that the dispute predated the Places of Worship Act.
The Gyanvapi arises out of an ongoing civil court case involving conflicting claims over the religious character of the Gyanvapi compound.
Among other claims, the Hindu side has said that Hindu prayers were earlier offered by the family of one Somnath Vyas in the Mosque's cellar until 1993, when the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led government allegedly put an end to it.
The Muslim side has opposed this claim and maintained that Muslims have always had possession over the Mosque's building.
The main dispute over the Gyanvapi compound involves a claim by the Hindu side that a section of an ancient temple on the land was destroyed during the rule of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in the 17th century.
On the other hand, the Muslim side has maintained that the Mosque predated Aurangzeb's reign and that it had endured various alterations over time.
The Hindu parties have claimed in their suit that the Hindu character of the land in question did not change even if the temple structure was later torn down on Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's orders to erect a mosque.
They have sought the restoration of the ancient temple (Lord Vishweshwar temple) there, and defended their 1991 suit on the ground that the dispute predated the Places of Worship Act.
