Historians dig out 15 skeletons of 1857 Mutiny fighters

After 157 years of obscurity, historians have retrieved fifteen skeletons from a well here, belonging to people who took part in the 1857 Mutiny against the British.

Before the excavation commenced, religious leaders gathered for a prayer service for the peace of the departed souls.

"We have completed digging till eleven and a half feet, and if we count the body parts found, it would be around 15 or 16 till now. As of now, there are seven skeletons there which are attached together which is becoming a problem for us,"said a historian leading the digging at the site of the well,Surinder Koshad.

Hundreds of residents from nearby areas gathered to pay homage to the freedom fighters who had laid down their lives during the 1857 war of Independence.

Many participated enthusiastically in various stages of the digging process, holding trays filled with mud and throwing it aside for the labourers to dig further into the abyss.

Village head Amarjeet Singh said:"Till 11.30 a.m. on Friday morning, we had organised a religious prayer meet which included leaders of all religions - Hindu, Sikh, Christian, and Muslim, after which we started the digging. The digging has reached eleven feet and we found several skeletons, skulls, teeth (jaw bones), etc."

The 1857 war for independence started as a sepoy mutiny against the East India Company, and soon escalated into a revolt by kings and civilians in northern and central India.

It was, however, soon suppressed by the Britishers.