Sambhal: Authorities recover broken idols of Hindu deities from well near Hindu temple reopened after 46 years

On 14 December, the Sambhal administration and UP police discovered a Hindu Temple from a site that was encroached upon and opened the temple after a hiatus of 46 years. The temple was reopened for the first time after 1978.

Today, three broken idols have been recovered from the well near Shiv-Hanuman Temple. According to the report, the idols are believed to be Lord Ganesh and Lord Kartikeya. 

Speaking with media, Sambhal Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Shrish Chandra said, “These are broken idols that were found during the digging of the well. There is an idol of Lord Ganesh. The other one seems to be of Lord Kartikeya, more details are being sought. There was debris and soil in the well. The idols were discovered when it was dug…The area has been secured so that excavation can be done smoothly.”

The Sambhal administration has reopened the Bhasma Shankar temple, which has been closed since the 1978 communal disturbances. The temple houses idol of Lord Hanuman and a Shivling and it was unearthed during an anti-encroachment drive near the so-called Shahi Jama Masjid which was built illegally over the site where the Hindus maintain stood HariHar temple and are fighting a legal battle to reclaim their revered religious site. 

The videos of this excavation showing idols are going viral on social media. The apex court recently barred civil courts across the country from registering fresh suits challenging the ownership and title of any place of worship and from ordering surveys of disputed religious places until further orders. However, the temporary halt has not been received well by the Hindu community who view the recent order as a delay in their constitutional fight as it could harm their cause and give ample time for the opposing side to tamper with evidence.

Nonetheless, the discovery of the encroached Hindu temple in a peculiar manner–during the authorities’ crackdown on illegal power consumption–can only be seen as a divine signal towards the resurgence of the shackled Hindu civilization.