A Varanasi district court on Wednesday allowed Hindus to offer prayers in southern cellar of the disputed Gyanvapi structure.

The court directed to make arrangements for pooja to be performed by Hindus and a poojari nominated by Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust. The court also directed the district administration to make the necessary arrangements for the same in the next seven days.

“Hindus allowed to offer prayers at ‘Vyas Ka Tekhana’. The District Administration will have to make arrangements within 7 days. Puja will start within seven days. Everyone will have the right to perform Puja,” Vishnu Shankar Jain, the lawyer representing the Hindu side, said.

Muslim side’s counsel Akhlaque Ahmad said that he would challenge the order in the higher court.

This comes a day after the Hindu side moved the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to carry out a detailed survey of the Shivling found inside the disputed structure.

Earlier, the ASI submitted a report stating that the existing structure was indeed built above an ancient Hindu temple.