Uttar Pradesh: At a newly found Hindu temple in Aligarh, devotees offer prayers

Aligarh: After years of neglect, a newly rediscovered Hindu temple in Aligarh was restored, and devotees conducted puja there. To find and repair these temples, activists have started a campaign.

An activist told the media on Friday, “Hindus from this region left after previous riots, leaving this temple unattended. We’re now doing a campaign to find these temples. The second temple is this one. Today, this shrine has been cleaned and worshipped.

Another activist told the media, “This location was cleaned yesterday, and today Hanuman’s Aarti and Chalisa were done in the same order. Additionally, we’ll make sure that Sanatan Dharma members maintain this temple and visit there daily to carry out the puja and rites.

Police officers have been stationed outside the temple grounds as a precaution.

Earlier, the Shiv-Hanuman temple in Sambhal hosted devotional ceremonies on December 20. After the administration’s efforts, the temple, which had been shuttered since 1978, reopened on December 14.
The local district police and administration launched an anti-encroachment campaign during which the temple was discovered.

Three idols were discovered beside a well near the temple when it was being restored. In an attempt to restore the temple to its former glory, these idols are now being conserved.

Geeta Pradhan, a BJP politician and former member of Uttar Pradesh’s Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Commission, came to the temple on December 18 to worship.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Krishan Kumar and District Magistrate (DM) Rajender Pensiya of Sambhal also paid their respects at the recently discovered Shiv-Hanuman Temple on December 15.

The Nagar Hindu Sabha’s patron, Vishnu Sharan Rastogi, acknowledged the temple’s reopening after 46 years, citing the lack of a permanent priest as the reason for the shutdown.