Sambhal, 14 December: The administration’s strict stand against the violence that erupted after the survey of Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh is intact. In this sequence, when the administration carried out a drive against electricity theft, an ancient Shiva temple was unearthed in a house located in a Muslim dominated area on Saturday.
Therefore, the district administration and police freed Lord Shiva, Kartikeya and Hanuman who were imprisoned for 46 years after removing illegal encroachment from the temple. A well has also been found near the temple and evidence of an ancient Peepal tree has also been surfaced.
Police officials cleaned the temple and efforts are on to return the temple to its old form. Along with this, the administration has started preparing for action against those who encroached the temple.
District Magistrate (DM) Rajendra Pensia told the media that strict action is going on to remove encroachment and stop electricity theft in the Shahi Jama Masjid area. Meanwhile, a Shiva temple has been found in a closed house in Mahmood Khan Sarai. Before 1978, this house belonged to a Hindu family but during the communal riots of 1978, many Hindu houses were set on fire. Due to fear, Hindu families migrated from here and settled in Hindu populated areas.
DM told that since the temple was in Muslim populated area, it was occupied and merged with the house. Later it was sold. Since then it was closed. The temple was cleaned. There is an ancient well located near it, which was filled up. With the help of the Municipal Corporation team, this well is being dug.
During the campaign being run against electricity theft, on Saturday, the team of the Electricity Department reached Khaggu Sarai, a Muslim dominated area about one km away from Jama Masjid. During the campaign, the team saw something like a temple in a closed house.
On this, the employees informed SDM Vandana Singh, who was leading the team. When the SDM investigated, it became clear that there is an old temple here and she informed the DM Rajendra Pensia. After this, a heavy police force including the District Magistrate reached the spot and the temple was freed by removing the illegal occupation. The idols of Lord Shiva, Kartikeya and Hanuman are locked inside the temple. The administration tried to restore the temple to its original form by cleaning it.
While the Hindus were overjoyed to find the temple, the people living around the temple ran away. Locals said that this temple was under occupation since 1978. It has been found that there was a well here, which has been filled up.
According to Vishnu Saran Rastogi, patron of Hindu Sabha, there used to be a Hindu population here earlier. During the riots of 1978, there was a lot of chaos here, so Hindu families migrated. Bhajans and Kirtans used to take place in this temple, there is a well right next to the temple, which was filled up by Aqeel Ahmed. Since the temple was in a Muslim population, it was occupied and merged with the house.
District Magistrate Rajendra Pensia said that the temple has been cleaned and digging of the well has also been started. Investigation is being done regarding the ownership of the house and strict action will be taken against illegal occupants.
DM confirmed that along with this, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has been asked to conduct carbon dating to find out the antiquity of the temple.
According to experts, this temple is hundreds of years old.
Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Bishnoi said that encroachment on any religious place or public property will not be tolerated. Strict legal action will be taken against those who encroach.
