UP: Well, Shivling found during Mahwah River rejuvenation in Sambhal

Sambhal (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 7 (ANI): A well was found during the rejuvenation process of Mahwah river in Pahalwara village in Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh, said district officials, adding that the locals informed them of the presence of a Shivling in the vicinity of the well.
The administration said that complete digging of the well would be done to ascertain if it is a regular well or an ancient one.
Sambhal District Magistrate Rajendra Pensia told ANI that on February 2, while digging in Pahalwara, a few villagers informed the administration about the Shivling and that water was seeping out of the ground.
"In Pahalwara village of Gunnaur tehsil in Sambhal district, rejuvenation of Mahwah river was being done under MNREGA. In the process, when digging was done in Pahalwara on February 2, a few villagers informed us that there was a Shivling and water was seeping out of the ground on its own," Pensia said.
"We are rejuvenating Aril River here. So, I have told the SDM to look into this and find out what the actual situation is," he added.
Kartik Yadav, Sambhal Municipal Council Executive Officer, told ANI that the nature of the well will be known clearly after the digging is complete.
"Through local people, it came to our knowledge that there is a well in front of PWD Guest House. The well is being dug. Only after the digging is complete, it will be clear what is the nature of the well," Yadav said.
"Only after the digging is complete, it will be clear whether this is an ancient well or a modern well. We outlined the perimeter of the well. Manual digging will be done. Since the well is not very big, it can suffer damages due to JCB," he added.
Earlier on December 25, a team from the ASI and local administration visited several historic locations to restore wells and pilgrimage sites in Sambhal and reconnect the local community with their religious traditions.
This initiative was prompted by the rediscovery of a temple during an anti-encroachment campaign led by the district police and administration on December 14.
The Shiv-Hanuman temple, which had been closed since 1978, was reopened on December 22. During the excavation work in the Ladam Sarai area of Sambhal, an old well was also discovered by the local administration. (ANI)