New Delhi, Apr 1 (IANS): The Supreme Court on Monday refused to pass any interim order staying the Varanasi court's order allowing Hindu parties to offer prayers and puja in the southern cellar of the Gyanvapi Mosque.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud said that it would be appropriate to maintain a status quo at the disputed site to allow both communities to offer religious worship.

"Bearing in mind the fact that the namaz is being offered unhindered by Muslim community post the district court and High Court orders, and the offering of puja by Hindu priest is confined to the area of tehkhana, it is appropriate to maintain status quo and allow both the communities to offer worship," said the Bench, also comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, adding that status quo will not be disturbed except with the permission of the apex court

The Supreme Court was hearing a special leave petition filed by Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee against the decision of the Allahabad High Court upholding the January 31 district court order regarding the conduct of Hindu prayers in the southern cellar or basement (tehkhana) of the Gyanvapi Mosque.

A bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal of the Allahabad High Court gave the decision amid an ongoing civil court case involving conflicting claims over the religious character of the Gyanvapi compound.

Among other claims, the Hindu side has said that Hindu prayers were earlier offered by the family of one Somnath Vyas in the mosque's cellar until 1993, when the Mulayam Singh Yadav-led government allegedly stopped it.

The Muslim side has opposed this claim and maintained that Muslims have always had possession over the mosque's building.

The matter will be heard next in July.