Varanasi: Security measures have been beefed up around a centuries-old Hanuman-Shiva Temple recently uncovered in Varanasi’s Madanpur area. This follows a similar event just a week earlier, when three idols were found in a well near the ancient Shiva-Hanuman Temple in Sambhal, which had reopened to the public. The Varanasi temple, located near the Dashashwamedh police station, is believed to be dedicated to Siddheshwar Mahadev and is thought to be around 250 years old.
On Tuesday, Varanasi Municipal Commissioner Akshat Verma said that decisions about the site would be made by the police. “Any necessary actions should be taken by the police. I am not in a position to comment on this matter. The relevant department is handling the situation,” Verma said.
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Police personnel continue to be stationed outside the locked structure, appearing to be a temple, found in a residential area of Varanasi on 17th December. pic.twitter.com/RdUzuPnKax
— ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2024
Sambhal temple reopens
Meanwhile, in Sambhal, worship resumed on Monday at the Shiva-Hanuman Temple, which reopened on December 14 after being closed since 1978. The reopening followed a drive by the local authorities to clear encroachments, during which three idols were found in a well near the temple.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Shrish Chandra told ANI that the idols, which had been broken, were found while digging the well. Among them was a statue of Lord Ganesha, while another appeared to be of Lord Kartikeya, though further details were still being gathered. “The well contained debris and soil, and the idols were uncovered as the excavation took place. The area has been secured to facilitate further digging,” Chandra said.
Devotees flock to worship
Devotees have already painted ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ and ‘Har Har Mahadeva’ slogans on the temple’s newly revealed walls, the ASP sadi. Vishnu Sharan Rastogi, patron of the Nagar Hindu Sabha, said that the temple had been closed for 46 years, mainly due to the lack of a resident priest, but now it has been reopened.
