The Supreme Court of India is scheduled on Thursday, 24 July to hear a fresh petition filed by the Hindu side seeking permission to perform prayers and Jalabhishek of the alleged Shivling located inside the sealed wuzukhana area of the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi during the holy month of Sawan. The apex court's hearing comes as the centuries-old dispute over the Gyanvapi site continues to generate significant judicial activity.

What the Hindu Side Has Sought

The Hindu petitioners have moved the Supreme Court requesting access to the sealed wuzukhana area specifically to conduct worship rituals during Sawan, one of the most sacred months in the Hindu calendar. The side has also assured the court of full compliance with any conditions the judiciary may impose, including all security arrangements.

The alleged Shivling at the centre of this petition was discovered during a court-monitored survey in 2022. The wuzukhana area has remained sealed ever since, pursuant to an interim order issued by the Supreme Court in the same year.

Mediation Attempt Falls Through

Earlier this month, both the Hindu and Muslim parties formally declined the Supreme Court's proposal to resolve the long-running dispute through mediation under its 'Samadhan Samaroh' initiative. Both sides have opted instead to pursue adjudication through the regular judicial process on legal merits — a development that signals the dispute is unlikely to find a negotiated resolution in the near term.

Competing Claims Over the Site

The Hindu side has consistently maintained that the Gyanvapi mosque was constructed following the demolition of a temple during the Mughal period. The Muslim side, however, contends that the mosque is a legally recognised Waqf property and has disputed the claims advanced by the Hindu petitioners.

Notably, this is not the first time the dispute has reached a critical juncture in recent memory. In January 2024, the Varanasi District Court permitted Hindu devotees to offer prayers in the Vyas Tehkhana — the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi complex. The Allahabad High Court subsequently dismissed the mosque management committee's appeal against that order and directed the Varanasi District Magistrate to facilitate the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust in conducting worship at the Vyas Tehkhana.

Key Judicial Timeline

The Gyanvapi dispute has seen a rapid succession of court orders since the 2022 survey. Each ruling has incrementally expanded the scope of Hindu worship at the complex, while the sealed wuzukhana remains the last major flashpoint yet to be adjudicated. The Supreme Court's Thursday hearing will be closely watched as a potential turning point in that trajectory.

How the court rules on the Sawan puja plea could set a significant precedent for the broader dispute, which ultimately hinges on questions of historical ownership, religious rights, and the application of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.