5 women who got together for their right to worship Shringar Gauri
Meet the women who have made headlines by filing a petition seeking permission for regular ‘darshan’ and ‘poojan’ at Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal in Kashi VishwanathGyanvapi complex. Four of them are housewives and had never seen a court before
I never imagined that I would come on TV and journalists would interview us. But all this has happened with the blessings of Maa Shringar Gauri. A constable has been deployed for our (litigants’) security
VARANASI : Five women have joined hands for a cause – to seek permission for regular ‘darshan’ and ‘poojan’ at Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal in Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi complex. They filed a petition in this regard and their legal battle has now brought them into the limelight.
Of the five petitioners, one is based in Delhi and four belong to Varanasi.
While Rekha Pathak, Manju Vyas, Sita Sahu and Laxmi Devi Arya live in Varanasi and have been present at every hearing of the case, which began in August 2021.
They have four things in common – they had never visited court before August 2021, they are housewives, they never faced media ever, and they have resolved to continue the legal battle. The fifth petitioner, Rakhi Singh, lives in Delhi.
Sohan Lal Arya, 70, a social worker and a VHP member, is the coordinator and motivator, acting as a link between the five women and the advocates who appear in the court on behalf of them in the case.
The petitioners came in touch with him through a common friend. Arya had raised the issue of regular ‘ darshan’ of Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal in 1995. But his plan couldn’t materialise then. Now, he is supporting the five women.
a housewife and daughter of Dayashankar Tripathi, who was mahant of Laat Bhairav Temple, lives in a lane in Varanasi’s Rajght area and has full support of her husband Atul Kumar Pathak.
She says her devotion has been a driving force to seek permission for regular worship at Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal in Kashi Vishwanath-Gyanvapi complex. Pathak meet Manju Vyas, Laxmi Devi and Sita Sahu, over five years ago, and they came together for the common cause.
“I am a devotee and visit Maa Durga and Maa Kali temple every week. I offer prayers to Baba (Lord Shiva) too. Every year on the fourth day of Chaitra Navaratri, I used to offer prayers to Maa Shringar Gauri as there is permission for prayers on this day only,” she said.
“Whenever I visited Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal, I used to think how to get permission for regular worship of the deity,” she said.
She discussed this with Manju Vyas, whom she met during ‘ darshan’ at Shringar Gauri Sthal five years ago. “When I shared my feeling with Vyas, she told me that she was thinking the same,” added Pathak.
“I never imagined that I would come on TV and journalists would interview us. But all this has happened with the blessings of Maa Shringar Gauri. A constable has been deployed for our ( litigants’) security,” she said.
The duo then met Sita Sahoo in a ‘ satsang’ and discussed their idea if they could do anything together for daily worship of Maa Shringar Gauri, stated Pathak. Sita also told them that she had been thinking about this for a long time.
Pathak came to know about Sohan Lal Arya, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (Kashi) unit ex-vice president, who had been associated with the Ram janmabhoomi movement.
“Through a common friend, we met Sohan Lal Arya and requested him to help us in finding a way out to seek permission for regular ‘darshan’ and ‘poojan’ at Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal and other deities present close to the sthal. Arya accepted our request and assured us of discussing the matter with advocate Hari Shankar Jain,” she said.
She said Arya discussed the matter with Jain and it was decided that a suit would be filed in the civil court.
“Arya’s wife, Laxmi Devi, willingly joined us saying we will together fight a legal battle for liberation of Maa Shringar Gauri,” added Pathak.
a resident of Delhi and kin of Jitendra Singh Vishen of Vishwa Vedic Sanatan, also became part of the team and a suit was filed in the civil court, Varanasi, in August 2021, seeking permission for regular ‘darshan’ and ‘poojan’ at Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal.
On April 8, 2022, court appointed senior advocate Ajai Mishra as advocate commissioner and the survey of the Gyanvapi complex was conducted on May 6, 14, 15, and 16.
During the survey, a ‘shivling’ was found in the Gyanvapi complex, claimed Rekha Pathak and added, “I am very happy.”
a resident of Ramghat area of Varanasi, is a housewife cum social worker who works for the cause of the poor living along the ghat.
“I often thought why don’t we have permission for daily worship at Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal and the deities around. Then I met Rekha Pathak, and during discussion, we came to know about our common concern for Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal,” said Vyas.
She said, “Sita Sahu and Laxmi Devi also joined us and we formed a team that started the legal fight for Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal.”
Manju Vyas, 45,
“Before August 2021, I had never visited a court. But now, I visit court on every date of hearing. I am happy that things are in the right direction,” said Vyas.
Vyas, who runs a small beauty parlour in her house for a living, says, “I am happy that I have set a big goal of getting permission for daily worship at Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal and will fight a legal battle for it till my last breath.”
Her husband Vikram Vyas supports her for the cause. Another petitioner,
also a housewife, lives in a lane in Chetganj area here. “I am a devotee and fighting a legal battle for permission for regular ‘darshan’ of Maa Shringar Gauri. My family supports me in this cause,” she said.
“We are doing it for our devotion. I am confident that we would succeed,” she asserts.
This fight is for Maa Shringar Gauri and other visible and invisible deities around her, added Sahu.
“I never imagined that a police personnel would be deployed for my security. This has happened because of this case,” she said.
Her husband Bal Gopal runs a general store to meet the family’s expenses.
Sahu, 39, Laxmi Devi, 66, Sita
is eldest amongst the litigants, is wife of
Sohan Lal Arya who has been associated with the VHP for over three and a half decades.
“My husband is my source of inspiration. We hope, we will win because we are fighting for the truth,” said Laxmi who had never visited the court before August 2021.
“I have full faith in God and the judiciary. We devotees of Maa Shringar Gauri will get justice from court,” she added.
“It is good to see that these women have a firm resolve to seek permission for regular ‘ darshan’ of Maa Shringar Gauri. They go to court on every date. They answered queries in a balanced way and will succeed in their goal,” said Sohan Lal Arya.
At present, the devotees are allowed to offer prayers at Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal once in a year – that is on the fourth day of Chaitra Navratri.
I have full faith in God and the judiciary. We devotees of Maa Shringar Gauri will get justice from court