UP: Another abandoned Shiv Temple discovered in just days in Aligarh [WATCH]
Just days after the revival of a Shiv temple in Sarai Rehman, another abandoned temple has been found in the densely populated Muslim locality of Sarai Miyan in Aligarh.
FollowAligarh: Hindu right-wing leaders have reported the discovery of another abandoned Shiv temple in Sarai Miyan, a densely populated Muslim area under the Delhi Gate police station in Aligarh. This discovery was made on Thursday evening (Dec 19), just 36 hours after a similar temple was found and restored in the Sarai Rehman locality, another Muslim-majority area under the Bannadevi police station.
Harshad, the secretary of the city unit of the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), who was accompanied by Ankur Shivaji, a leader of the Bajrang Dal, and several others, reported that the abandoned temple was in a deplorable condition, with idols scattered across the debris. The gate's locks were broken in the presence of police, and the temple was subsequently cleaned and purified while religious slogans were chanted.
Superintendent of Police (City) Mrigank Shekhar Pathak informed reporters late Thursday night that peace committee meetings are being conducted in these areas to ensure the full restoration of the temples and to facilitate worship in a peaceful manner.
"So far, there is no report of any unpleasant or untoward incident from the above two localities," he said.
Local residents of Sarai Miyan stated that during the period of communal unrest before and after the demolition of the Babri mosque, the city experienced communal riots, which resulted in the migration of both Hindus and Muslims. This demographic shift led to the formation of segregated neighborhoods and the establishment of new colonies.
During this time, many places of worship, especially roadside temples, were abandoned, particularly in communally sensitive areas.
Mohammad Aqil Quershi, a local resident, mentioned that the temple had not been used for worship in several years, and no one had visited the premises. However, he pointed out that local Muslim residents took the initiative to build a boundary wall to prevent encroachment on the temple land. There are differing opinions about the temple's age and the exact period when it was abandoned.
Most residents, however, believed that no worship had taken place at the temple for three to four decades, following the migration of Hindu residents from the Mahour caste, who were primarily small-scale artisans and laborers involved in furnace work for lock-making, after communal riots in the area.
Meanwhile, on Friday, several activists from right-wing Hindu organizations, along with devotees, gathered at the abandoned Shiva temple in the Muslim-majority Sarai Miyan locality, which had been "rediscovered" on Tuesday evening. They performed rituals such as 'aarti,' 'Shiv paath,' and 'Hanuman Chalisa' at the site.
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