Sambhal: An Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) team on Friday conducted a survey of five pilgrimage sites, including the recently discovered Kartikeya Mahadev temple, and 19 wells in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal district, officials said.
District magistrate Rajinder Pensiya said, "A four-member team arrived in Sambhal this morning and conducted the survey for around 8 to 10 hours. A total of five pilgrimage sites along with 19 wells were surveyed by the ASI officials. Apart from the Kartikeya Mahadev temple that was reopened after 46 years, surveys were held at Chakrapani Tirtha and Bhadrika Tirtha."
The Kartikeya Mahadev temple, which housed an idol of Lord Hanuman and a Shivling, is shut since 1978. The district administration team came across the covered structure during an anti-encroachment drive and reopened it on December 13. Also, a well in the premises of the temple was spotted. While excavating the well, damaged idols of Parvati, Ganesh and Lakshmi were found around 10 to 12 feet inside it.
After this, Pensiya wrote to ASI, requesting for carbon dating of the temple and the well. Carbon dating helps to determine the age of an artefact.
Notably, the Kartikeya Mahadev temple is located in Khaggu Sarai of Nakhasa, which falls under the constituency of SP MP Zia Ur Rehman Barq, and around a kilometre from the Shahi Jama Masjid, where violence broke out on November 24 during a court-ordered survey.
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