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Will offer prayers to ‘Shivling’ in Gyanvapi on June 4: Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Swami Avimukteshwaranand said if the administration stopped them from offering prayers at the ‘Shivling’ in the Gyanvapi complex, he will inform the Shankaracharya and follow his instructions.
VARANASI: Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the chief disciple of Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, on Thursday said that he and other scholars will on June 4 offer prayers at a ‘Shivling’ claimed to have been found in the Gyanvapi complex in Varanasi during a court-monitored survey of the premises on May 16.
Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati is the Shankaracharya of Dwarka Sharada Peetham in Gujarat and the Jyotir Math in Badrinath.
At a press conference at Sri Vidya Matt located at Kedar Ghat here, he said, “When Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati Maharaj, who is in Madhya Pradesh, was informed about the manifestation of Lord Adi Vishweshwar in Gyanvapi complex, he expressed his happiness and ordered me to go and start worshiping Lord Adi Vishweshwar immediately.”
“So, as the per Guruji’s order, we will go to offer prayers to Lord Adi Vishweshwar in Gyanvapi on June 4 (Saturday). In our scriptures, Saturday is mentioned as an auspicious day,” he added.
Swami Avimukteshwaranand also said if the administration stopped them from offering prayers, he will inform the Shankaracharya and follow his instructions.
“The decision of the Dharmacharya is final on the matter of Dharma (religion). In Sanatan Dharma, Shankaracharya is the biggest ‘acharya’ and Swaroopanand is the senior-most. Therefore, his orders should be followed by all ‘Sanatanis’,” he told reporters.
“We are not political Hindus but the real ones,” he said.
Swami Avimukteshwaranand’s announcement after claims by Hindu litigants in the Shringar Gauri-Gyanvapi Mosque case that a ‘Shivling’ was found in the complex during a court-mandated survey of the premises last month. However, the Muslim side has maintained that the object was part of the water fountain mechanism at the “wazoo khana” where “namazis” carry out ablutions before offering the namaz.
On the claim of the Muslim side, Swami Avimukteshwaranand said, “Lord Shiva is the only Lord from whose head appears Jaldhara (water stream). Muslims are not aware of it and that is why they are calling Lord Shiva a fountain.”
On May 16, during a local court-ordered survey, a lawyer representing Hindu petitioners claimed a “Shivling” was recovered in Gyanvapi complex and urged the court to seal the area where the “Shivling was found”. Thereafter the court ordered to seal the area.
Joint secretary, Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, which manages the Gyanvapi mosque, SM Yasin claimed there was no “Shivling” in Gyanvapi mosque. Instead, it was a fountain, he had claimed.
‘Centre should abolish Places of Worship Act’
Swami Avimukteshwaranand also demanded the Centre immediately repeals the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act 1991 so that Hindus can regain their place with respect and justice is done. The 1991 law prohibits conversion of any place of worship and provides for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947.
