Mumbai: Ancient Artefact Found During Drain Clearing at Aarey Colony in Goregaon

During the clearing of a clogged drain on Friday, February 14, at Unit 20 in the Aarey Colony area in Mumbai's Goregaon, a circular stone with a floral design all around was found. The stone is 1.5 feet in diameter and 8 inches thick, reported The Times of India newspaper.

Juber Ansari, the voluntary caretaker of the 12-13th century temple complex in Aarey Colony, said that the artefact was covered with cow dung. It was a part of the temple complex. Ansari said that he took pictures and forwarded to people who study archaeology, and they confirmed it was ancient.

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Ansari also wrote an email to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and is waiting for a response. His home at the temple site was recently demolished, and he was forced to move out of the area. According to the TOI report, in January 2023, after several emails from Ansari, ASI conducted a site inspection and stated in its report that temple remains lie in the Aarey Milk Dairy premises. 

"An image of the Goddess Chamunda, an incarnation of Goddess Durga, may be retrieved from the site by the volunteer caretaker Zuber Ansari, a local resident, who is seen at the site," reads the report. The ASI report recommended a detailed study of the site, reported TOI.