New Delhi: They have finally discovered an old temple in Sambhal. But it was not found under the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid or any other mosque in the western Uttar Pradesh city.
The administration and police in Sambhal have revived a small temple, which was lying dormant for the past few years, in a Muslim locality. Not only did the administration get the temple and the well near it cleaned, and have revived Hindu puja at the site, they have also written to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) requesting the agency to study the ‘ancient’ temple to determine its age.
The district magistrate (DM) of Sambhal Rajender Pensiya and superintendent of police (SP) Krishan Kumar Bishnoi even offered prayers at the revived temple, which was allegedly stumbled upon by the administration during an anti-encroachment drive. Officials have installed CCTV cameras in the temple as a security measure and stationed police guards near it.
The administration, which drew widespread criticism after four Muslim men were killed in violence during a controversial survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, has floated the theory that the Hindus living in the Khaggu Sarai locality were forced to flee from there following the 1978 communal violence. That was 46 years ago. Since then, the administration said, the temple was left unattended and was encroached upon by a wall that was constructed around it.
Local Hindus, however, have contested this theory, and said that the temple was always in their control even when they had gradually moved out of the locality. The temple was functioning and open till 2006, said Dharmendra Rastogi, whose family had locked the structure and built a wall around it as a protective cover before they sold their property and moved to another locality.
Another Hindu resident Vishnu Sharan Rastogi, patron of the city’s Hindu Sabha, said that though they did sell their house in Khaggu Sarai following the 1978 riots, they were never stopped by the Muslims living in the area from visiting the temple.
“We had to close the temple as the priests could not live here,” said Vishnu Sharan, adding that this made it difficult for the Hindus to manage and take care of the temple. He added that the temple had been closed since the riots. “After the riots Hindu gradually moved to other colonies and we couldn’t take care of the temple. Nobody objected to or stopped us from coming,” said Rastogi.
The temple, whose age is unknown, was opened by additional SP Shrish Chandra and deputy SP Anuj Chaudhary , who were seen removing dirt and dust from the shivling and an orange idol of Hanuman. Officer Chaudhary even rang the bell in the temple.
DM Pensiya said the three idols found in the well were of Ganesh, Parvati (broken) and Lakshmi. He said they were “investigating” how the idols ended up in the well.
Once the “prachinta” (antiquity) of the temple is determined, a beautification of the structure will also be planned, the official said.
The name of the temple was also not known. While the DM on Sunday said that it was being referred to as the ‘Kartik Mahadev Mandir’, on Monday locals named it as the Pracheen Sambhaleshwar Mandir or Ancient Sambhaleshwar Temple with a coat of saffron paint on the structure. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Vandana Mishra said they would “restore” the original form of the temple.
The administration said it stumbled upon the closed temple during a drive against power theft and encroachment, where it demolished illegal constructions and encroachments on the roads and over the drains. Those with permanent constructions were also served notice, including the sitting Sambhal MP from Samajwadi Party Zia-ur-Rehman Barq.
DM Pensiya said that they removed an “encroachment” around the temple, referring to a wall. The administration also dug up an old well after discovering it under a ramp, he said.
Further, Pensiya told reporters, “We have written a letter to the ASI regarding the temple and the koop (well). Once they come and carry out carbon dating, we will actually find out how old the temple is.” The DM added that action would be taken against those who encroached upon the temple.
Dharmendra, however, said there was no encroachment on the temple, adding that the Hindus themselves had raised a wall as a protective cover for the structure.
“The last puja was conducted in 2006. There was no prohibition on darshan of the temple or taking its keys,” he told Hindu news channel ABP.
Dharmendra, however, said the structure described as encroachment by the administration was a room in the temple.
“The temple is as it was. There is no encroachment. We had raised the wall. It was a part of the temple,” said Dharmendra, who said he left the locality in 2006, “not out of fear” but because others had left too over the years.
“There was no fear. Whoever could get a place somewhere else, moved out,” he added.
Another resident P. Verma, who said his family left the locality in 1993 after selling their property, said the temple was operating at least till then. “The cleaning took place, so did the puja archana,” he said.
Also read: Now, One of India’s Oldest Mosques, Atala Masjid, Is on the Hindutva Survey Radar
Verma, too, said that his family did not relocate due to fear and faced no such problems. He remembered the temple and the well from his growing up days. “There also used to be a Peepal tree here. I used to drink water from this well. The women from the locality would come and wash clothes there,” he said.
On Monday, police said they found three broken idols of Ganesha and Kartikeya while digging the well. “We are seeking more details. The area has been secured so that excavation can be done smoothly,” Additional SP Shrish Chandra said, displaying the idols for journalists.
As Hindus flocked there for darshan, chief minister Adityanath used the revival of the temple to target the Opposition.
“Did the administration build such an ancient temple in Sambhal overnight? Did such an ancient idol of Bajrangbali come there overnight? Why have those savages who committed the massacre in Sambhal 46 years ago not been punished till date? Why is this not discussed,” Adityanath said at an event. He also claimed that the temple had been shut since 1978.
Taking to social media site X, MP Barq accused the police administration and the government of “spreading false rumours” that the local Muslims had closed down the temple.
“The truth is that puja was performed in this temple till 16 years ago and the lock of this temple was put by the Rastogi family itself. The keys were still with the Rastogi family. The maintenance of the temple was done by the Muslims of the neighbourhood,” he said.
Barq also said that “those looking for temples under mosques across the country should learn a lesson from the Muslims of Sambhal.” Even today, the temple is the same as it was 46 years ago, he said, adding, “This is truly a slap on the face of those communal people.”
