Kashi, July 25 -- A piece of land outside the Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi has been handed over to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust, in exchange for another plot of land in the arena.

The land given by the mosque to the trust was initially given to the mosque officials on a perpetual lease to build a police control room. The mosque officials informed the Indian Express that this was done keeping in mind the demolition of the Babri Masjid.

However, the Temple trust had requested for the land two years ago so that they could ensure better security arrangements for the Kashi Vishwanath temple corridor.

While the area ceded to the trust is equal in value, it is larger in size to the one it has been exchanged for. The land given by the mosq...