Archaeological Survey of India studies freshly discovered temples and wells in Sambhal.
News Mania Desk / Piyal Chatterjee / 20th December 2024
A four-member Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) team visited the recently excavated temple, 5 ‘teerth’, and 19 wells in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, according to district magistrate Dr Rajender Pensiya. He also indicated that the ASI will provide them a report based on their findings. According to PTI, the Sambhal district government contacted the ASI to request carbon dating of the temple and well.
On December 13, the ‘ancient’ Shri Kartik Mahadev Temple (Bhasma Shankar temple) reopened for prayers after being unearthed by officials during an anti-encroachment effort near the Shahi Jama Masjid. The temple was supposedly shuttered after religious disturbances in the neighborhood in 1978 caused Hindu households to be displaced.
The discovery of the temple followed conflicts between police and local residents over a court-ordered assessment of the Shahi Jama Masjid.The violence that occurred on November 24 killed five civilians and wounded 20 police officers. Since then, police have been deployed across the site.The Supreme Court, in November, ordered civil courts to suspend taking up further claims contesting the ownership or title of any place of worship or demanding surveys of contested religious locations under the locations of Worship Act of 1991.
