Second Abandoned Shiv Temple Discovered In Aligarh, ASI Conducts Survey Across 24 Spots In Sambhal

Another abandoned Shiv temple has been discovered at Sarai Miyan, a thickly-populated Muslim locality, which comes under Delhi Gate police station in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh.

The discovery was made on Thursday evening, merely 36 hours after a similar temple was found at another Muslim-dominated locality, which comes under Bannadevi police station area. This abandoned temple was later revived, news agency PTI reported. 

In another development, a four-member team from the Archaeological Survey of India reached Sambhal to conduct a survey of the ancient Shiva temple.

Sambhal DM Dr Rajender Pensiya said a survey was conducted across 24 police stations in Sambhal but the media was not informed as the team wanted to work in isolation. The survey began at 6:30 AM and went on till 3:00 PM. 

“It was a 4-member team. In Sambhal, 5 ‘teerth’ and 19 wells were inspected by ASI…the new temple that was found was also inspected. Survey took place 8-10 hours…the ancient temple that was opened was also surveyed…ASI will submit its report to us…total around 24 areas were surveyed,” he said. 

Harshad, secretary of the city unit of the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) stated the premises of the locked temple were in a state of mess and that the idols were strewn all over debris. He further said the locks on the gate were broken in the presence of the police, following which the temple was cleaned up, and purified amidst religious slogans. Harshad had arrived on the spot along with Ankur Shivaji, a leader of the Bajrang Dal, and many others.  

Superintendent of Police (City) Mrigank Shekhar Pathak on Thursday night said that peace committees are holding meetings in these localities to ensure that these temples are restored and people perform prayers peacefully. “So far, there is no report of any unpleasant or untoward incident from the above two localities,” PTI quoted him as saying.

Local residents of Sarai Miyan said that the city saw communal riots during the communally disturbed period before and after the demolition of the Babri mosque, leading to migration of Hindus and Muslims. During this period, several places of worship, especially roadside temples, were left abandoned particularly in communally-sensitive areas. Residents said that Hindus of Mahour caste, who are mainly petty artisans and labourers specialising in furnaces connected to lock making operations, migrated after communal riots in that area. 

 A local resident named Mohammad Aqil Qureshi said that no worship took place at the temple for the past several years as no one visited the premises. He further said the local Muslim residents built a boundary wall around the temple to ensure that nobody encroached the temple land.

Although most locals claim “no worship was conducted for three or four decades”, there are conflicting versions regarding the time from which the temple was abandoned as well as the age of the temple.