Archive · 6 Sep 2026
Well Found Beneath Demolished Mosque Debris in Saharanpur, ASI Informed
Workers found an old well under the rubble of a demolished mosque in Saharanpur.
They discovered it while clearing debris on Sunday.
A slab was spotted and cut open before the well was revealed.
The well is nearly 20 feet deep and about 1.5 metres wide.
Officials think it may be around 100 years old.
The Archaeological Survey of India will study it to learn more.
The well has been covered with an iron sheet for safety.
Police are guarding the area and keeping people away.
The mosque was demolished after officials declared it illegal and a court rejected an appeal.
Officials found a nearly 20-foot-deep, 1.5-metre-wide well beneath debris at a demolished mosque in Saharanpur.
The discovery came Sunday after workers spotted and cut through a slab during debris clearance.
The mosque had been demolished by bulldozers on Saturday in an operation lasting nearly 16 hours.
Officials estimated the well may be about a century old, but experts must verify its age and significance.
The Archaeological Survey of India was informed, while police restricted access and the well was covered with an iron sheet.
- Who
- Saharanpur officials, including Sub-Divisional Magistrate Subodh Kumar, informed the Archaeological Survey of India; the mosque management committee had appealed the demolition order.
- What
- A nearly 20-foot-deep and around 1.5-metre-wide well was found beneath debris from a demolished mosque.
- When
- The well was discovered Sunday, one day after the mosque was demolished; the report is dated September 6.
- Where
- On the premises of the Saharanpur district collectorate in Uttar Pradesh.
- Why
- The Archaeological Survey of India was asked to determine the well’s age and historical significance. The mosque was demolished after being declared illegal and after its appeal was rejected.
Mosque Management Committee
Petitioner and Authorities
Legality of the mosque
Mosque Management Committee
The mosque management committee challenged the order declaring the structure illegal by appealing to the district court.
Petitioner and Authorities
Bajrang Dal regional convener Vikas Tyagi petitioned the city magistrate, alleging that the structure was illegal, and the city magistrate ordered its demolition.
Demolition decision
Mosque Management Committee
The management committee sought to overturn the demolition order, but its appeal was rejected on September 2.
Petitioner and Authorities
Authorities proceeded with the demolition on Saturday after the district court rejected the appeal.
Significance of the well
Mosque Management Committee
The articles report no historical claim about the well from the mosque management committee.
Petitioner and Authorities
Officials said the well appeared to be around a century old and notified the Archaeological Survey of India to establish its age and historical importance.
- Well depth
- Nearly 20 feet
- Well width
- Around 1.5 metres
- Estimated age
- Officials said the well appeared to be around a century old; experts must verify this.
- Discovery method
- Workers spotted a slab during debris removal and cut through it to reveal the well.
- Demolition timing
- The mosque was demolished by bulldozers on Saturday in an operation lasting nearly 16 hours.
- Investigating agency
- Archaeological Survey of India
- Current security
- The well is covered with an iron sheet, and police are restricting access to the site.
- Legal background
- The city magistrate declared the mosque illegal; the district court rejected the management committee’s appeal on September 2.
