MEERUT, Sept. 8 -- 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 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 an...