Uttar Pradesh: After Sambhal, now 250-year-old Shiv temple closed for 40 years found in Varanasi (WATCH)
By Sunita Iyer | First Published Dec 17, 2024, 11:15 AM ISTEfforts are underway to reopen a nearly 40-year-abandoned Shiv temple in Varanasi's Madanpura area, following the reopening of a similar temple in Sambhal, with no disputes reported from the local community.
Days after a temple locked since 1978 was reopened in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal, efforts are now underway to reopen a Shiv temple, reportedly 250 years old, in the Madanpura area of Varanasi that has been closed for nearly 40 years. Located in a Muslim-dominated locality, the temple has remained abandoned and filled with debris, with no worship taking place for decades.
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The temple was rediscovered following information shared on a Facebook page named 'Banarasi Ishq.' On Monday evening, members of the Sanatan Raksha Dal, led by state president Ajay Sharma, gathered at the site to demand its reopening. Sharma stated that the temple had been neglected for years, and its premises were covered in dirt and rubble. He mentioned that surrounding land, once owned by Hindus, was sold to Muslim families, leading to the temple's abandonment.
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After Sambhal, an ancient temple was found in the Muslim area of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The temple is lying closed in the streets of Madanpura, house number D 31/65, near Gol Chabutra, Madanpura, Varanasi.
Today the administration will open the temple and start the… pic.twitter.com/FBMjJbbc7E
“We will clean the premises and resume worship soon,” Sharma assured. He emphasized that there was no dispute regarding the reopening of the temple and that the initiative was being carried out peacefully. Sharma further stated that both local police and city officials had cooperated in the efforts.
Pramod Kumar, the in-charge of Dashashwamedh Police Station, confirmed that the temple in question had been closed for years, and the nearby community had no objections to its reopening. "Some people were asking to open it. There is a Muslim area nearby. It is closed since Hindus stopped coming here. There is no dispute there," he said. Kumar said that people living nearby say that they have bought land from Bengalis and are living here and they have no objection to the temple.
In response to the Sanatan Raksha Dal's request, local authorities are expected to oversee the cleaning and restoration of the temple. Ajay Sharma expressed confidence that traditional rituals would soon resume once the temple's premises were cleared.
Also read: '209 Hindus killed in Sambhal since 1947': CM Yogi Adityanath in Assembly
This incident follows a similar event in Sambhal, where a Hindu temple that had been closed for 46 years was rediscovered in a Muslim-majority area. The Bhasma Shankar temple houses an idol of Lord Hanuman and a Shivling. The temple had been locked since 1978, following communal riots that caused the displacement of the local Hindu community.
Local authorities had cleaned the temple, and strict security measures were put in place to ensure peace during its reopening.
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