Pandits oppose takeover of Chakreshwari Temple
 |
|
News and Events
|
| Pandits oppose takeover of Chakreshwari Temple by Dharmarth Trust Jammu (India) December 14, 2009 |
 |
|
Report by Raman Raina
 section of non-migrant Kashmiri pandits have expressed their dismay over the activities of some of the migrants who were trying to get the Hari Parbhat shrine transferred to the Dharmarth Trust.In a communication to Dr Karana Singh,MP,and other senior laders in Delhi and within the state the new Sanstha,managing the affairs of the Chakreshawari temple atop the Hari Parbhat,has blamed the erstwhile organisation,that had misused the shrine funds,for motivating the state Government and other agencies for getting the Shrine complex transferred to the Dharmarth Trust.The communication has alleged that the members of the old sanstha,who are migrants,had misappropriated Shrine funds and in one case had sold a piece of land at Hari Parbhat to a businessman for Rs.four lakhs.'When we cam to know about the deal we protsted and we able to get the deed cancelled,"said Roop Kishan a senior member of the Sanstha.He said the committee that had sold the land illegally had to pay Rs.50,000 as penalty to the businessman and the same amount had been drawn from the shrine fund. The new committee has claimed that it has been running the affairs of the Shrine smoothly and record of each penny received and each penny spent has been maintained when the erstwhile committee had not maintained any proper record.The committee members said that the old committee members had converted the sacred shrine into a picnic spot and would visit the shrine alongwith their relations and friends during the summer season on the expenses of the shrine fund. The committee members have requested Dr Karan Singh to intervene and allow "us to continue to run the affairs of the shrine."They have conveyed to Dr Singh that whenever pilgrims from outside the valley visit the shrine for performing some rit uals and religious obligations "we accompany them and whenever they want to spent a night or two they ae not charged even a penny for the rooms and the bedding."They have conveyed to Dr Singh their appreciation over the role the Dharmarth Trust had played in developing and coving various religious places, temples and shrines in the Jammu region.They have stated that in the Kashmir valley scores of shrines,temples and other religious places had been managed by the local committees.However,after the migration some non-migrants were trying to run the affairs of some shrines and they have not succeeded in their upkeep. The new committee members said that since "we took over we have carried out various development works for ensuring proper maintenance of the shrine."They said that every Saturday and sunday religious functions are held in which a large number of non-migrant pandits and those from the plains participate. They have conveyed to Dr Kaan Singh that the members of the old committee were playing politics with the religious activities after they lost control of the shrine which used to be means of comfort and revenue to them. |
 |
 Raman Raina is Shehjar's Chief Photo Journalist based in Jammi, India. |
|
|
| Copyrights © 2007 Shehjar online and KashmirGroup.com . Any content, including but not limited to text, software, music, sound, photographs, video, graphics or other material contained may not be modified, copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, or distributed in any form or context without written permission. Terms & Conditions. |