Day 2 of Sambhal Survey: ASI collects samples from temple, other Hindu sites for carbon dating

An Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) team visited the recently reopened Kartik Mahadev temple and other Hindu religious sites in Sambhal’s Khaggu Sarai locality again on Saturday and collected samples for carbon dating. The first round of the survey was carried out by the four -member ASI team on Friday.

“The ASI team again visited Kartik Mahadev temple today (Saturday) and five other Hindu pilgrimage sites, including Bhadrak Ashram, Swargdeep, Chakrapani and wells in the temple’s vicinity,” said Vandana Mishra, sub divisional magistrate, Sambhal.

Among these wells were Chaturmukh Koop, Moksha Koop and Dharam Koop.

The Kartik Mahadev temple is located in the Khaggu Sarai area which is around a kilometre from the Shahi Jama Masjid.

“They collected samples from the Kartik Mahadev temple’s walls for carbon dating and some artefacts and mud from wells,” Mishra added.

The four-member ASI completed the survey in around half-an-hour.

The ASI team has not given any deadline to the Sambhal administration for submitting the carbon dating report.

The Kartik Mahadev temple was reopened after 46 years on December 13 after the authorities said they stumbled upon the structure during a drive against power theft. It had remained locked since 1978. The temple has an idol of Lord Hanuman and a Shivling.

The Sambhal administration had requested the ASI’s Moradabad division to carry out the survey and carbon dating of the Kartik Mahadev temple and other Hindu religious pilgrimage sites in Khaggu Sarai locality.

Carbon dating is used to determine the age of archaeological artefacts.

Idols of Parvati, Ganesh and Lakshmi were found inside one of the wells when it was excavated, Sambhal district magistrate Rajender Pensiya had said on Friday.

Sambhal town was rocked by violent protests on November 24 during a court-ordered survey of a mosque that Hindu groups claim was built after demolishing a temple. Four people were killed in the violence.

The Supreme Court on December 12 issued an interim order to stop all surveys of mosques and other places of worship across the country.

The order also prevents courts from hearing new suits or passing orders to survey mosques. It also prevents courts from passing orders in existing suits regarding surveys.