New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday expressed reservations with those assuming Varanasi’s Gyanvapi mosque as a place of Muslim worship and said that Gyanvapi was actually 'Vishwanath' (Lord Shiva).

"Durbhagya se Gyanvapi ko log doosre shabdon mein masjid kahte hain…lekin who Gyanvapi saakshat Vishwanath Ji hain," (Unfortunately people in other words describe Gyanvapi as a mosque but it is in fact Lord Shiva), CM Yogi Adityanath said while speaking at a seminar in Gorakhpur.

The Uttar Pradesh CM's remark came a day after Varanasi court's order which rejected the Hindu side's plea seeking directions to the local District Magistrate (DM) to repair the basement of Vyas ji located within the premises of Gyanvapi mosque complex.

CM Adityanath also sought to give reasoning as to why 'Gyanvapi was actually Vishwanath' and cited a story from Hindu mythology regarding Adi Shankaracharya.

He also stated that if the society had understood and identified the hurdles of past, the country would have never been colonised.

Notably, the disputed Gyanvapi mosque site has been a bone of contention between Hindu and Muslim communities for decades. In recent petitions, the Hindu side claimed that the Hindu temple was demolished in the 17th century by despotic Mughal ruler Aurangzeb while the Muslim side contends that the mosque existed even before the reign of Aurangzeb.

Earlier this year, a Varanasi court permitted Hindu devotees to offer worship to Lord Shiva inside the sealed basement of Gyanvapi mosque. As per court orders in February, Hindu devotees were allowed to offer prayers at 'Vyas Ka Tekhana', a restricted area inside Gyanvapi mosque.

Earlier this week, the Hindu side sought a survey of the mosque premises by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to ascertain the identity and character of the disputed structure. The court is likely to hear the petition on September 18.