Varanasi (UP), Jun 8 (PTI) Swami Avimukteshwaranand, who was denied permission to offer prayers at ‘Shivling’ claimed to be found in the Gyanvapi mosque complex during a court-monitored survey of the premises, ended his fast on Wednesday.
Avimuktreswaranand, a disciple of Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, had announced to offer prayers at the site on June 4.
On being stopped by the police, he sat on a fast that continued for over 108 hours.
He said he received a letter from Swami Swaroopanand, asking him to end the fast.
This comes in the wake of 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.
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However, the Muslim side has maintained that the object was part of the water fountain mechanism at the “wazoo khana”, where namazis (faithfuls) carry out ablutions before offering the namaz.
A local court had ordered the videographic survey of the Gyanvapi complex on a plea by five Hindu women that they be allowed to worship Hindu deities whose idols are installed on the outer wall of the mosque.
