UP: Kartikeshwar Mahadev temple reopens in Sambhal, morning aarti performed as devotees flock for darshan

Sambhal (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 25 (ANI): The newly reopened Kartikeshwar Mahadev temple in Sambhal district witnessed its morning aarti on Wednesday, drawing devotees from across the country.
Priest Shashikant Shukla, who led the aarti, shared that people from various regions, including Banaras, Delhi, Vrindavan, and Muzaffarpur, have been visiting the temple to offer prayers and seek blessings. "People are coming from far-off places, such as Banaras, Delhi, Vrindavan, and Muzaffarpur. Yesterday, people from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Vrindavan came here to do Hari Kirtan. It was a great experience," the Priest said.
Shukla also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for enabling the reopening of the temple, saying, "I'm deeply grateful to PM Modi and CM Yogi, as they enabled our Hindu community's worship and facilitated the reopening of this temple for darshan."
On December 24, the morning aarti was also performed at the Shiv-Hanuman temple in Sambhal. A significant number of devotees thronged the Shiv-Hanuman temple in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal to offer prayers during the morning aarti and perform puja rituals. Devotees were seen chanting bhajans and spiritual songs inside the temple.
The temple was rediscovered during an anti-encroachment campaign by the district police and administration on December 14 and held its first morning aarti on December 20. The Shiv-Hanuman temple had been closed since 1978.
On December 22, a team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) uncovered an age-old stepwell in Chandausi, Sambhal. The discovery came after the reopening of the Shiv-Hanuman temple, which had been closed for 46 years.
Sambhal's District Magistrate, Rajendra Pensiya, confirmed the finding, stating that a 'baoli' (stepwell) covering an area of 400 square meters had been unearthed.
"The structure, which has around four chambers, includes floors made of marble and bricks. The second and third floors are made of marble, while the upper floors are built from bricks," he said. "This baoli is said to have been built during the time of the grandfather of Bilari's king," he added. (ANI)