Excavation uncovers historical stepwell in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal
Sambhal: An excavation team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has unearthed an ancient stepwell, or 'baoli,' in the Chandausi area of Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district. This discovery follows the reopening of a Shiv-Hanuman temple in the district after 46 years.
District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya confirmed the findings, stating that the baoli spans approximately 400 square metres and includes four chambers, with marble floors on the second and third levels and brick construction on the upper floors.
"The excavation revealed a structure recorded as Ah-Baoli Talab, believed to date back over 150 years to the era of the grandfather of Bilari's king. The Nagar Palika team is actively removing topsoil, and around 210 square metres have been uncovered so far, while the remaining area remains encroached. Steps will be taken to clear the encroachments and fully unearth the structure," Pensiya said.
Krishna Kumar Sonkar, Executive Officer of the Municipal Corporation, stated that the excavation began promptly after reports of the underground structure. "We are committed to restoring the baoli and uncovering all its details as the work progresses," Sonkar added.
In a separate development, an ASI team conducted a detailed survey of five shrines and 19 wells across Sambhal, inspecting 24 areas, including the recently reopened ancient temple. The survey, which lasted 8-10 hours, aims to provide a comprehensive report on the district's historical sites.
Efforts to preserve and restore these structures continue, highlighting the rich cultural and historical heritage of Sambhal.
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Jyotirmath Shankaracharya slams RSS chief for 'politically convenient' position on restoring temples
Haridwar, Dec 22: Shankaracharya of the Jyotirmath Peeth in Uttarakhand Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati on Sunday criticised RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for his "politically convenient" position on restoring temples.
Avimukteshwaranand said a list of temples destroyed in the past by invaders be prepared and archaeological surveys of the structures be carried out to "restore Hindu pride".
"When he wanted power, he went around speaking about temples. Now that he has power, he is advising not to look for temples," he said on Bhagwat's remarks.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Bhagwat recently said that it was not acceptable that new temple-mosque disputes are raked up after the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The seer said a lot of atrocities have been committed against the Hindus and their religious places have been destroyed in the past. "If now, the Hindu society wants to restore and preserve its temples, then what is wrong in it?"
The Shankaracharya also criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement on BR Ambedkar in Parliament that has triggered a huge row between the ruling BJP and the Opposition.
Defending Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Avimukteshwaranand said the scuffle outside Parliament was due to Shah's remarks on Ambedkar.
He said that there are a lot of people who support Ambedkar's ideology so everyone is using his name for their politics.
Shah has been under fire from several opposition parties since Tuesday over a comment he made referring to Ambedkar during a debate on the Constitution in the Rajya Sabha.
The next day, the BJP leader held a press conference and accused Congress of twisting facts and distorting his comments.
The seer also condemned alleged atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh and said that the central government should take strict action on the matter. He said that illegal immigrants from Bangladesh living in India should be sent back. He slammed the central government accusing it of lack of action on the matter.
Bhagwat has recently expressed concern over the resurgence of new temple-mosque disputes and asserted that certain individuals, after the construction of Ayodhya's Ram Temple, seem to believe they can become "leaders of Hindus" by raking up such issues.
