A local court in Varanasi has given the approval to  conduct a survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque compound adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple by Archaeological Survey of India.<br />'' <br />''Senior civil judge fast track court Ashutosh Tiwari in his order has also directed the Uttar Pradesh government to bear the cost of the survey.<br />'' <br />''The order came on a petition filed by a local lawyer VS Rastogi who had demanded the restoration of the land entailing Gyanvapi Mosque to Hindus.<br />'' <br />''The Gyanvyapi Mosque management committee had opposed the petition.<br />'' <br />''The court also directed the DG of the ASI to constitute a five-member committee of experts and those well versed in science of archaeology, two out of whom should preferably belong to the minority community.<br />'' <br />''<span style="color: #222222;">The committee would "trace as to whether any Hindu temple ever existed before the mosque in question was built or superimposed or added upon at the disputed site.</span><br />