The mystery of the stepwell found in a vacant plot in Laxman Ganj, a Muslim dominated locality in Chandausi, Sambhal, is now being revealed layer by layer. Thursday, being the sixth day, the digging and cleaning of the stepwell continues.
During the excavation on Wednesday, the upper floor is now clearly visible. The red stone floor is visible now. However, the work of removing soil from the first floor is still going on.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the ASI team reached the spot and conducted a survey of the stepwell.
On December 17, a 150-year old ruined Banke Bihari temple was found in Mohalla Laxman Ganj. Sanatan Sevak Sangh workers had given an application to DM Rajendra Pensiya on Sampoorna Samadhan Diwas on December 21, claiming to renovate the temple and a stepwell in the vacant plot located at the street near the temple.
Sources said here on Thursday that when the digging started on the same day on the orders of the DM, the stepwell was uncovered. When the walls of the stepwell were visible on the first day, the digging work was accelerated. On the second day of excavation, the gates of the rooms and a tunnel-like corridor behind the gate also became visible. On the third day, stairs to descend inside the stepwell were also clear.
On the fourth day, 13 stairs became clearly visible. Excavation work is going on daily from 10 am to 6 pm. On Wednesday, the fifth day, the floor of the upper floor became visible. There is a red stone floor. There are six carved gates on both sides adjacent to the stairs while five gates are plain and there is a room-like corridor behind it.
The ASI team explored the area after removing the soil from the floor. The height of the linter from the floor is said to be about ten and a half feet.
It is said that there is another floor below the upper floor and there is a well below it. Apparently, there are stairs around the well.
The work of removing soil was stopped at 4 pm on Wednesday. On the morning of the sixth day, the municipal team started removing soil from the upper floor.