The district court in Varanasi on Friday deferred the hearing in the Gyanvapi case and scheduled it for October 11.

The court was supposed to pronounce its verdict on the plea filed by the Hindu side demanding carbon dating of the structure they claimed to be a Shivling found inside the Gyanvapi Mosque's wuzu khana.

A heavy police force was deployed outside the premises of the court ahead of the crucial hearing.

Four women petitioners in the Gyanvapi mosque-Shrinagar Gauri case had sought scientific investigation and carbon dating to ascertain the nature and age of the Shivling.

The Hindu side had claimed that they had found a shivling in the ablution pond of the mosque when the survey was conducted.

The court had reserved the order in the Gyanvapi Mosque-Shringar Gauri case on September 29 after hearing both sides' arguments.

The Muslim side in the Gyanvapi mosque-Shringar Gauri complex case had filed an objection in the court against the Hindu plaintiffs' plea for the carbon dating of the 'Shivling'.

Carbon dating is a scientific process that ascertains the age of an archaeological object or archaeological finds.

On September 22, the Hindu side demanded carbon dating and other scientific tests of the Shivling-like structure.

This was opposed not only by the Muslim side's Anjuman Inazaniya Masajid Committee, but also by plaintiff number one, Rakhi Singh of the Hindu side.

The lawyers had lodged an objection in court saying that carbon dating would damage the structure.