PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad High Court on Thursday allowed a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah premises adjoining the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura.

The HC agreed to the appointment of an advocate commissioner to oversee the survey of the mosque, which the petitioners claim holds signs suggesting it was a Hindu temple once.

The court said the modalities of the survey will be discussed at the next hearing.

The order on the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah issue is the second temple- mosque dispute in which the high court has given its nod to a survey over the past months.

The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) recently completed a survey of the Gyanvapi mosque next to Varanasi’s Kashi Vishwanath temple, but has sought more time from a local court to submit its report.

According to advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, the plea said a lotus-shaped pillar, characteristic of Hindu temples, exists on the mosque premises, and an image of Hindu deity ‘Sheshnag’ is also there.

It was also submitted that Hindu religious symbols and engravings are visible at the base of the pillar.