NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed till 5pm on July 26 the Varanasi district court’s order for an extensive survey of the Gyanvapi Masjid by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to ascertain whether the mosque was built over a pre-existing Hindu temple.

Holding that the mosque management committee must get “some breathing time” to appeal against the Friday order, a bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, stayed the district court’s order for a little over 48 hours to let the committee approach the Allahabad high court in appeal.