After Sambhal Violence, Yogi Adityanath Is Resolute In Restoring Uttar Pradesh's Lost Temples

Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has long championed heritage reclamation, but the violence in Sambhal on 24 November 2024, triggered by a court-ordered survey of the Jama Masjid, has sped up these efforts.

Since then, UP has witnessed the restoration of at least half a dozen temples, including in cities like Varanasi, Firozabad, and Moradabad. However, Sambhal has emerged as the focal point of these developments.

The restoration efforts began with the discovery of a Shiv-Hanuman temple in Sambhal and since then the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has conducted surveys of multiple sites, restoring koops (wells) and bawdis (stepwells) as well.

Yogi Adityanath’s reclamation efforts extend beyond cultural and heritage sites to land restoration. On 14 January, a 10,000-square-foot plot of land was returned to a Hindu family who had fled during the 1978 riots. The land’s original owner, Balram Mali, was killed in the riots, forcing his widow and three sons to leave for Chandausi. Over the years, they repeatedly tried to reclaim the property, but a few Muslims had occupied it.

Interestingly, the plot also housed a school named Jannat Nisa, and some walls were painted with "Fire Station" along with a phone number to create a false impression of its use. After consultations with the fire department, the property was returned to the rightful owners.

The 47-year-long struggle for this land near the Sambhal Roadways Bus Stand culminated in its return, but Yogi’s "bulldozer" is now targeting 12 shops on the same land. The shop owners have been served notices to vacate the property.

These shops were built after the 1978 riots and the shop owners used to pay rent to the mosque committee. However, after the discovery of 'Akarm Mochan Koop,' further investigation led to the finding that these shops were built on government land.

Similarly, notices have been issued to houses near Rani ki Bawdi in Sambhal, as they encroach upon land earmarked for excavation. Encroachments over the Sati Math temple have also been cleared using bulldozers.

These developments reflect Yogi Adityanath’s determination to reclaim UP's lost land and heritage. His approach has been pragmatic, focusing on areas under state jurisdiction and starting with low-hanging fruits.

When the Supreme Court stayed lower court proceedings, surveys, and presentations of reports related to the Places of Worship Act, 1991, the Yogi government turned its attention to closed temples.

After the discovery of the Shiv-Hanuman temple in Sambhal, a few days later, on 17 December, a locked temple in Sambhal’s Muslim-majority Hayat Nagar area was reopened for regular prayers. On the same day, another locked temple in Varanasi’s Muslim-majority Madanpura area was reopened, with regular worship resuming. On 18 December, another long-closed temple in Aligarh was unlocked, with pujas starting the following day.

Similar drives continued as on 30 December, another temple 'locked for 44 years' was reopened in Moradabad. In January, a Shiv temple in Muslim-majority Rasoolpur area of Firozabad was reopened after over 60 years.

On 10 January, the Supreme Court ordered a status quo regarding a private well near the Jama Masjid, which had become the focal point of the 24 November violence. Last month, three broken Hindu idols were discovered at this site.

Meanwhile, excavations at other wells near Sambhal Kotwali, such as Akram Mochan Koop, Ashok Koop, Chaturmukh Koop, and Mrityu Koop, are ongoing. Surveys have also extended to other religious areas like Shankh Madhav, Ekanti Sagar, and Chatursagar.

While Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has focused on "low-hanging fruits" through these efforts, he has not shied away from addressing larger temple reclamation projects, including Kashi and Mathura. He has repeatedly stated, “Reclaiming heritage is not a bad thing,” a stance that sets him apart from other Hindutva leaders.

For instance, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has criticised efforts to rekindle "Ram-temple-like" controversies, especially those involving petitions against mosques. In contrast, Adityanath has firmly declared, “Disputed structures shouldn’t be called mosques.”

Following the inauguration of the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir on 22 January 2024, Hindu pujas began at the Gyanvapi complex later that same month. Speaking about this, Adityanath remarked in the UP Assembly, “After Ayodhya celebrations, Nandi Baba (of Gyanvapi) said, ‘Why should I wait?’ and got barricades broken overnight. Krishna Kanhaiya (of Mathura) will also not sit quietly.”

This statement holds particular significance as the UP administration moved swiftly to facilitate Hindu pujas at Gyanvapi after the Varanasi court granted permission. Within hours, arrangements were in place, and pujas resumed after a 30-year hiatus imposed by the Mulayam Singh Yadav government.

Despite opposition, both the Allahabad High Court and the Supreme Court upheld the Varanasi court’s decision, maintaining the status quo and rejecting the mosque committee’s plea to halt the pujas. The resumption of worship at Gyanvapi highlights the combined efforts of the Varanasi court and the Yogi government.

Adityanath’s administration has consistently demonstrated a proactive approach to Hindu cultural causes. The image of senior police officers restoring Sambhal’s Shiv-Hanuman temple remains emblematic of these efforts. In Sambhal, the administration has worked tirelessly, coordinating with the ASI for surveys, reopening religious sites in Muslim-majority areas, and ensuring robust security measures for temples.

To solidify these changes, a police station is being constructed near the Sambhal mosque, which was central to the 2024 violence. This move counters allegations that the land belongs to the Waqf Board.

Adityanath has also drawn historical parallels, stating, “What was done by Babur’s men in Ayodhya (destruction of Ram Mandir), the same thing was done in Sambhal.”

He does not subscribe to the notion of fragile peace — one that crumbles when Hindus assert their rights. Instead, he advocates for 'enforced peace,' where security measures maintain stability even as Hindus assert their cultural and religious rights.