Indian court permits Hindus to pray in parts of Varanasi mosque

A court in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh has ruled that Hindus can offer prayers at the 17th century Gyanvapi Mosque located in the ancient city of Varanasi, lawyers representing Hindu petitioners said Wednesday.

The Gyanvapi Mosque, located adjacent to the 18th century Kashi Vishwanath Temple, is now at the center of an ongoing legal battle in India.

The court’s decision came days after the Archaeological Survey of India, a government agency, concluded that “it can be said there existed a Hindu temple prior to the construction of the existing structure.”

After the Babri Masjid in the northern city of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, Gyanvapi is another medieval mosque that is being claimed by Hindus.