Well beneath demolished mosque in Saharanpur estimated to be 200-250 years old in preliminary assessment

The nearly 20-foot-deep and three-foot-wide well was discovered on Sunday (September 6) during debris removal at the site. A team of archaeologists from Lucknow inspected it on Monday to examine its construction, bricks and other features and assess its possible age and historical significance. Manoj Kumar Yadav, assistant archaeological officer, said the structure appeared at first sight to be an old well and that its construction characteristics suggested it could date back roughly two to two-and-a-half centuries.

The well discovered beneath the debris of the demolished mosque on the Saharanpur Collectorate premises is estimated to be 200 to 250 years old, according to a preliminary assessment by Uttar Pradesh state archaeology department officials who inspected the structure and descended into it for a closer examination.

The preliminary assessment is based largely on the Lakhori bricks and lime-surki used in its construction, as well as the manner in which the structure was built. (ANI file)

The nearly 20-foot-deep and three-foot-wide well was discovered on Sunday (September 6) during debris removal at the site. A team of archaeologists from Lucknow inspected it on Monday to examine its construction, bricks and other features and assess its possible age and historical significance.

Manoj Kumar Yadav, assistant archaeological officer, said the structure appeared at first sight to be an old well and that its construction characteristics suggested it could date back roughly two to two-and-a-half centuries.

The preliminary assessment is based largely on the Lakhori bricks and lime-surki used in its construction, as well as the manner in which the structure was built, he added.

Yadav said the bricks measured approximately 20 cm in length, 10 cm in width and 5 cm in height. He examined the exposed external structure before descending into the well with the help of a ladder.

Further examination needed

Yadav, however, cautioned against drawing definitive conclusions about the well’s history based solely on the preliminary inspection. The structure remains partly filled with debris, limiting the extent of the examination. Further archaeological investigation would be required to establish its precise age, construction history and original purpose, he said.

However, officials said any further excavation or archaeological work would depend on a decision by the district administration.

Yadav said the structure appeared, at first sight, to have features associated with the medieval period in the North and Central Ganga Valley. He also noted that Saharanpur has a long history of human settlement, with structures from different historical periods found across the region.

The discovery has triggered speculation about whether the well could be linked to the Shahjahan period or whether it was associated with a temple or another religious structure at some point in the past. Officials from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), who also inspected the site, however, did not endorse any such theory and stressed that archaeological evidence would be necessary before establishing any historical association.

‘1909’ marking on brick under scrutiny

The discovery has also drawn attention to a brick allegedly recovered during the debris removal operation. A claim circulating on social media says the brick bears the marking “1909”.

It is not yet clear whether the marking represents a manufacturing year, a construction-related reference or has any other significance. Officials have not established a connection between the marked brick and the age of the well.

For now, the assessment that the well could be 200 to 250 years old remains preliminary. Its exact historical context is likely to depend on further examination of the structure and any material that may be recovered from within it, Yadav said.