The Indian Supreme Court halted Tuesday a survey of the Shahi Eidgah mosque for search of the alleged presence of Hindu relics. The Shahi Eidgah mosque is claimed to be built on the birthplace of the Hindu god Krishna, similar to the claim of the Babri Masjid mosque as the Hindu god Ram’s birthplace.

The court decided that the proceedings before the High Court would continue, while the execution of the commission appointed for the survey would be postponed until the next hearing scheduled for January 29, 2024. The court noted that the Hindu side’s request for a survey was “very vague,” and identified the presence of significant legal issues in the case.

The Uttar Pradesh state Allahabad High Court order from December 14, 2023, had appointed a panel of three advocates as a commission for the survey. The court emphasized that defendants could participate in the commission proceedings and have the right to raise objections to the commission’s report if they found it unfavorable. The court added the report is considered evidence, and commissioners may be called as witnesses during the trial. However, the High Court clarified the commission’s report does not impact the merits of the case, and the sanctity of the property must be maintained during the commission’s execution.

Mathura is a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India with historical and cultural significance. The site, called “Krishna Janmasthan,” believed to be the Hindu god Krishna’s birthplace, saw the construction of temples starting from the first century CE. Despite invasions causing a decline in Buddhist and Jain sites, Krishna worship endured. During Aurangzeb’s rule, Hindu temples, including the contested Keshavdev temple in 1669, were destroyed and replaced by the Shahi Eidgah mosque. After independence, temples were built in Mathura. Ongoing legal disputes involve the Keshavdev site. The Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust managed the construction of a temple next to the Shahi Eidgah mosque, completed in 1982.

In a similar case in 2019, the Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling favouring Hindus in the long-standing Ram Janmabhoomi Babri Masjid land case. The dispute involved a small plot in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, claimed by Hindus as the birthplace of the god Ram and venerated by Muslims for the Babri Masjid mosque. The court, after examining historical and archaeological evidence, concluded in favour of Hindu claims, ordering the formation of a trust for land management and the construction of a Ram temple. Additionally, the court mandated the allocation of five acres of land in Ayodhya for Muslims to build a mosque to replace the Babri Masjid. The conflict has a history dating back to 1857, and violent incidents, including the demolition of the mosque in 1992, have led to communal tensions and riots. Also, the temple built by Hindus at the site is set for consecration on January 22.