Saharanpur: ASI inspects well found after mosque demolition

ASI officials inspected a well discovered at a demolished mosque site in Saharanpur, UP. The structure, made of Lakhori bricks and believed to be from the late medieval period, was found after a court-ordered demolition of the mosque.

ASI Inspects Well at Demolition Site

Officials from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on Monday inspected a well discovered at the site where a mosque inside the Saharanpur Collectorate premises was demolished. Heavy police security was deployed around the area, and the structure was barricaded from all sides.

Speaking to ANI, Manoj Kumar Yadav of the Uttar Pradesh State Archaeology Department said the purpose of the inspection was to determine the antiquity and nature of the structure and establish its historical relevance. "Our primary objective in visiting here was to determine the antiquity of the structure found there. Secondly, we wanted to understand the nature of the structure itself. We also aimed to correlate it with history to understand what it relates to," Yadav said.

Structure Identified as Medieval Well

He said that during the inspection, the structure appeared to be a well, which was filled with debris that had fallen inside. The well measures around 20 feet in height from the surface level and has a diameter of nearly three feet.

"The structure is made using Lakhori bricks. The binding mortar used is a lime-surkhi mixture, and at a depth of three feet from the top surface, there is a thin layer of lime plaster," he said.

Yadav added that such structures, built using similar techniques, are commonly found in the Upper and Middle Ganga Valley regions and are generally associated with the later mediaeval period.

Background of Mosque Demolition

The inspection was followed by the demolition of a mosque located inside the Sharanpur collectorate premises in the early hours of Saturday after a court order upheld its removal.

The District Judge's court on September 4 dismissed an appeal filed by the mosque committee and upheld an earlier order passed by the City Magistrate. The City Magistrate's court had on July 17 ordered demolition of the structure and imposed compensation of approximately Rs 6.41 crore in connection with alleged encroachment and misuse of government land.

Authorities have maintained that the demolition was carried out in accordance with the court's directions and legal procedures.

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