Shahjahanpur: A Hanuman Temple was raised and shifted by a foot with the help of 250 jacks, officials said on Wednesday. Breaking down a temple is considered unholy at many places.

This work marks the beginning of a process to shift the Hanuman temple at Kachhiyani Kheda to 67 feet for widening of the national highway in the district.

The groundwork to shift the temple (creating a hindrance in the widening of the road) has been going on since October 16, for which a new technique is being used for the first time in Uttar Pradesh, SDM, Tilhar, Rashi Krishna told PTI.

Temple Mahant says he did not give consent for it

After performing worship at the temple Tuesday evening, the work of Shifting the structure started. During this, officers of the National Highways Authority of India as well as the police force were present, she said. With the help of 250 jacks, the entire temple was raised in the afternoon and by the evening, it was shifted back a foot from the road, she added.

However, Mahant of the temple Ram Lakhan Giri said they had not given consent to shift the temple.

Two cases have been filed in the District Court over the shifting of the temple. A similar case is also pending in the high court, he said.

"The chairperson of the temple committee is the SDM and she is working to shift the temple under her leadership," the Mahant said.

Muslim man gives away his land

Earlier, Additional District Magistrate (administration) Ramsevak Dwivedi had told PTI that a problem of land had arisen for shifting the temple and one Babu Ali gave his one bigha land to the administration for it.

With this, the problem of shifting the temple ended, he added.

SDM Krishna said the deed of Ali's one bigha land has been done in the name of the administration and the temple will be shifted on this land.

Ali has set an example of Hindu-Muslim unity by upholding the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb, she said. 

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