'Ancient' Temple Locked Since 1978 Communal Riots Reopened In Sambhal

On Friday, officials in Sambhal district reopened an ancient temple that had remained locked since the communal riots in the town in 1978.

The temple was discovered during an anti-encroachment drive near the Shahi Jama Masjid, when authorities found a Hanuman idol and a Shivling inside, as reported by PTI.

Photo Credit: PTI

Locals claimed the Bhasma Shankar temple had remained closed since the 1978 riots, which caused the displacement of the local Hindu community. Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Vandana Misra, who was overseeing an anti-electricity theft campaign in the area, explained that the temple was found during an inspection.

"Upon noticing it, I immediately informed the district authorities," she said.

"We all came here together and decided to reopen the temple," Misra confirmed, adding that it had been shut for decades. The temple also has a well nearby, which the officials plan to reopen.

This discovery follows recent violence sparked by a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, which resulted in four fatalities.

The Sambhal administration is currently focusing on tackling encroachments and electricity thefts in the area around the Mughal-era mosque.

"Ancient" Temple of 500 Years

Located in Khaggu Sarai, just over a kilometre from the Jama Masjid in Kot Garvi, the temple is believed to be at least 500 years old.

Local resident Mukesh Rastogi shared, "We had heard a lot about this temple from our ancestors. It is an ancient temple, but it was closed long ago because only a particular community lived there."

82-year-old Vishnu Shankar Rastogi, patron of the Nagar Hindu Mahasabha, shared his personal connection with the temple.

"I have lived in Khaggu Sarai since my birth. After the 1978 riots, our community was forced to migrate from the area. This temple, dedicated to our Kulguru, has been locked since then," Vishnu explained.

Before the riots, around 25-30 Hindu families, including his own, lived in Khaggu Sarai. After the unrest, they sold their homes and left. Vishnu described the temple as "ancient" and known as the Bhasma Shankar temple, which was historically a place of worship for his community.

Sanjay Sankhydhar, a resident of Sambhal, commented, "People's sorrows were relieved by visiting here. But it was closed for a long time. Now the people here will visit again and benefit from its virtue."

Sambhal had been a site of unrest starting on November 24, when tensions flared over the survey of the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid.

In a related legal development, the Supreme Court recently ruled that civil courts across India are barred from accepting new lawsuits challenging the ownership or title of religious places or ordering surveys of disputed sites until further notice.

This ruling came during a hearing of petitions challenging the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which prevents the conversion of religious places and maintains the status quo of places of worship as they were on August 15, 1947.

The petitioners argued that the Act infringes upon the rights of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs to reclaim places of worship and pilgrimage that were destroyed.

(With PTI inputs)