Drought conditions in India have dried up a reservoir, revealing an intact mosque that had been submerged in water for more than 30 years, according to local reports.
This year has seen extreme weather conditions all around the world, with catastrophic flooding in Pakistan and record-breaking heatwaves and droughts in the West.
As well as being troubling for water sources, droughts have made headlines by drying up of large bodies of water. In the United States, the shrinking reservoir of Lake Mead has revealed several sets of skeletal remains that local authorities have had to assess.
Meanwhile in China, severe droughts exposed the base of an ancient stone island normally submerged in the waters of the country's largest freshwater lake.
Droughts have also hit India, and locals in the state of Bihar's Nawada district reported that the mosque, which was submerged in the reservoir for over 30 years, has been revealed intact.
The mosque was found exposed amid the muddy remains of the Phulwaria Dam reservoir. Photos show how the small structure rises around 30 feet above the ground to the peak of its dome, with three archway entrances below.
Kashmir and India news outlet Kashmir Media Service (KMS) reported that locals refer to the mosque as Noori Masjid. It was reportedly submerged after the Phulwaria Dam was built in 1985.
Since then, the dam has been used for agriculture and to supply water to villages, according to news outlet The Leader Hindi. However, its construction led to the evacuation of nearby communities due to the expected rise in water levels. Locals relocated elsewhere, but the mosque was left where it stood, eventually becoming flooded with water.
In the years that followed, it was sometimes possible to view the tip of the mosque from afar, but water levels have fallen far enough this year to reveal the building more fully.
The mosque's appearance has prompted many people to go and see it up close, despite the wet and muddy conditions. It's reported that the building is completely intact despite being submerged in water for decades.
The exact age of the mosque has been a subject of discussion, according to KMS. Some say it was constructed in the early 1900s and could be about 120 years old, based on its architecture.
Just as the mosque's past is uncertain, so is its future. It isn't known whether it could now be relocated elsewhere or left to be re-submerged when water levels eventually increase.
For now, drought conditions remain. On September 8, the Indian government placed restrictions on rice exports after lower-than-average monsoon rainfall curtailed planting, Reuters reported.
India exports rice to over 150 countries and accounts for more than 40 percent of global shipments. Restrictions could lead to increased food prices.
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