A Shiva temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar, located in a predominantly Muslim area – Ludhawala – under Kotwali police station, reopened on Monday with a ‘havan’ ceremony, as local Muslims showered flowers on a Hindu procession, news agency PTI reported.
Built in 1971, the temple had been closed since the communal tensions following the Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya in 1992, when Hindu families from the area fled, taking the temple’s idols and ‘shivling’ with them.
City Magistrate Vikas Kashyap confirmed the peaceful conduct of the reopening ceremony. “All functions were held without any disturbance. The atmosphere was cordial, and Hindu activists, led by Swami Yashvir Maharaj, returned peacefully,” Kashyap said.
Muslims in the area welcomed the procession by showering flowers on the participants. Swami Yashvir Maharaj, who led the purification ceremony with a ‘havan’ and other rituals, expressed, “This is a significant moment for us. The temple, closed for years, is now reopened after proper purification.”
Swami Yashvir had announced last week that the temple would reopen on December 23 following the purification ceremony.
The district administration ensured security measures were in place, with police patrolling the area to maintain peace during the event.
ASI discovers ancient stepwell in Sambhal
Meanwhile, about 200 km away in Sambhal, excavations are underway after the reopening of the Bhasma Shankar Temple on December 13, which had been closed for over 46 years.
Visuals from Chandausi, Sambhal, show excavation work at an ancient stepwell uncovered by a team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Sunday.
The discovery follows the reopening of a Shiv-Hanuman temple in the district.
Sambhal District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya confirmed the find, stating that a 400-square-meter ‘baoli’ (stepwell) was unearthed.
In a related development, the ASI team also surveyed the Kalki Vishnu temple in Sambhal, inspecting five shrines and 19 wells in the area. DM Pensiya mentioned that the inspection lasted 8-10 hours and covered around 24 sites. “The ASI will submit its report to us after the survey,” the district magistrate added.
(With ANI, PTI inputs)