Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh): Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiradtiya Scindia has spoken about the Gyanvapi mosque row and said when "invaders plundered Varanasi, empresses Ahilya Bai Holkar and Baiza Bai preserved Kashi and it was the Ahilya Bai that had beautified and preserved the 'Shivling' in the Gyanvapi well.
"The beautification of the Gyanvapi well was done by empress Baiza Bai where the 'shivling' is kept. In the establishment of Kashi, Ahilya Bai Holkar played a very important role. The Marathas have an umbilical cord with Hinduism. The community has been known to preserve the Hindu faith since the times of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj," Scindia said while speaking to the media during his visit to Manas Bhawan in Phool Bagh, Gwalior, where he offered prayers on the occasion of Maha Ashtami.
He wished for the progress of Madhya Pradesh and the country. "I wish that our values and principles prevail and our state and the country keep moving forward. May the country also progress spiritually," he said
The festival of Navratri honours the defeat of the demonic Mahishasura and the triumph of good over evil. The 10th day of Sharad Navratri is celebrated as Dussehra or Vijaya Dashami. Earlier, Scindia offered prayers at Gorkhi Devghar located in the Maharaj Bada area in Gwalior, dressed in royal attire on the occasion of the last day of Navratri on Monday.
Meanwhile, a district court in Varanasi on Saturday rejected a plea that sought a direction to the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to undertake a survey of the wazukhana (ablution pond) area, except for the ‘Shivling’ inside, within the Gyanvapi mosque without causing any damage to the structure.
