Swami Avimukteshwaranand stopped from going to Gyanvapi, says 'won't eat…'

Swami Avimukteshwaranand on Saturday was stopped from leaving Sri Vidya Matt in Varanasi by police as he was about to set out for the Gyanvapi complex, which is at the centre of controversy now. He had announced earlier that he and his followers would offer prayers at the ‘Shivling’ claimed to be found at the complex during the recent survey. “Until I am not given permission to worship the Shivling in Gyanvapi, I will not eat anything,” he said after he was stopped on Saturday.

Swami Avimukteshwaranand is a disciple of Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati who is the Shankaracharya of Dwarka Sharada Peetham in Gujarat and the Jyotir Math in Badrinath.

Source : Hindustan Times

Disciple of Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswatiwill offer prayers before ‘Shivling’ in Gyanvapi

Varanasi : A disciple of Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati Thursday announced that he and his followers will offer prayers at a ‘Shivling’, which was claimed to be found in the Gyanvapi complex during a court-monitored survey of the premises, on June 4.

Swami Avimukteshwaranand also said if the administration stops them from offering prayers, he would inform the Shankaracharya and follow his instructions.

Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati is the Shankaracharya of Dwarka Sharada Peetham in Gujarat and the Jyotir Math in Badrinath.

“The decision of the Dharmacharya is final on the matter of Dharma (religion). As the Supreme Court defines law, dharma is defined by ‘Dharmacharya’. In Sanatan Dharma, Shankaracharya is the biggest ‘acharya’ and Swaroopanand is the senior-most,” he told reporters here.

“In Gyanvapi, ‘Vishwanath Ji’ (Lord Shiva) has been found and we are gathering material for prayers on behalf of Hindu community,” he told reporters here.

“We are not political Hindus but the real one,” he said, adding the prayers will be held on Saturday.

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.

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 court here 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.

Source : New Indian Express