Devotees paint ‘Om Namah Shivaya’, ‘Har Har Mahadeva’ slogans on walls of Sambhal temple

SAMBHAL (Uttar Pradesh): Devotees on Monday painted ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ and ‘Har Har Mahadeva’ slogans on the walls of the newly discovered Shiv-Hanuman temple, just two days after it was uncovered in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district.

The temple was reopened, reportedly after 1978, during an anti-encroachment drive carried out by district police and administration on December 14. Following its reopening, the temple premises were further cleaned, and electricity connections were restored with the installation of CCTV cameras for security purposes.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Name of the Shiv-Hanuman Temple being painted outside the temple in Sambhal, along with ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ and ‘Har Har Mahadeva’ slogans.

The temple was reopened, reportedly after 1978, during an anti-encroachment drive carried out by district police… pic.twitter.com/HQ3OcfwIOT

— ANI (@ANI) December 16, 2024

On Sunday, Sambhal’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishan Kumar and District Magistrate (DM) Rajender Pensiya visited the site and offered prayers at the newly uncovered temple. Earlier, amid ongoing tensions, the district administration launched an anti-encroachment drive to clear unauthorised constructions from public spaces.

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: Sambhal SP Krishan Kumar and DM Dr Rajender Pensiya offer prayers at the Shiv-Hanuman Temple which was discovered in Sambhal during an anti-encroachment drive carried out by district police and administration, yesterday. pic.twitter.com/UMxZZVhP4n

— ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2024

According to Sambhal SDM Vandana Mishra, the operation targets public area encroachments and has also been actively conducted in Chandauli for the past two months. “The anti-encroachment drive is focused on clearing encroachments from public spaces. A similar drive has been running in Chandauli for the last two months. Additionally, a campaign against electricity theft is under way in Sambhal”, she said.

Last Saturday morning, an anti-encroachment operation was conducted in the Shahi Jama Masjid area. DM Pensiya stated, “In the morning, we checked whether loudspeakers were contributing to unnecessary noise pollution. During the inspection, widespread electricity theft was discovered. Around 15 to 20 houses and religious places were found to be involved. At a mosque, we found 59 fans, a fridge, a washing machine, and approximately 25 to 30 light points, all with the meter switched off. An intensive checking campaign is ongoing”.

Sambhal Circle Officer (SO) Anuj Kumar Chaudhary, who was part of the inspection team, said, “We received information about encroachment in the area. Upon inspection, we discovered the temple”. (ANI)