Lucknow: Days after a Hindutva outfit descended upon a locked temple situated within the premises of a Muslim household in Madanpura area, an assembly of Vedic scholars from Varanasi has now decided to take up the matter of revival of the temple and other locked or damaged temples across the temple city at the Mahakumbh in January.
The Kashi Vidvat Parishad—an assembly of Vedic scholars—has decided to discuss the matter of revival of such locked and damaged temples during its meeting with the Akhara Parishad, Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti and dharmacharyas slated for 17 January and has also proposed that a fund be created for the revival of such temples and that priests be appointed so that prayers can be started.
Consisting of 14 akharas, the Akhara Parishad is one of most respected outfits of Hindu seers in India and the Kashi Vidvat Parishad (KVP) wants it to discuss ways in which such temples can be revived.
In fact, the KVP which along with other outfits is conducting a survey of such temples across Varanasi, is of the view that wherever such temples exist, it along with the Akhara Parishad should adopt such temples and request its owners to either prepare for regular prayers or hand over the temple to them in exchange of money.
Not only the Kashi Vidvat Parishad, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) too has jumped into the controversy with its activists marching towards the area for the ‘jalabhishek (water offering)’ at the temple even as members of the Muslim community who own shops in the market fear loss of their livelihood.
The demand for reopening the Madanpura temple comes just days after a temple in Sambhal was reopened and thrown open to devotees and visitors.
Police personnel have been posted in adequate numbers ever since the Sanatan Rakshak Dal reached Madanpura in Varanasi, but security had to be heightened Sunday after VHP members were adamant to carry out their ‘jalabhishek’ plan.
The administration and the police had a tough time in stopping the VHP workers, who claimed that they had gathered water from 12 different rivers that they wanted to offer inside the temple. They stopped only after Additional District Magistrate (city) Alok Verma sought 10 days to verify the revenue documents of the property after which he said the administration would allow the ‘jalabhishek’ inside the temple.
As the news of the VHP activists marching towards the temple spread, security was heightened in Madanpura where a section of the Muslim shop owners kept their establishments closed. The shopkeepers are concerned about the thinning crowd in the once-buzzling market.
“Customers are turning up in fewer numbers and some of the shops have been closed. After the news of the VHP activists arriving here spread, security was enhanced. It was back to what it used to be before Sunday after they were stopped,” said Ahmed, a local shopkeeper.
He said that all kinds of people find work in the market– from the border makers to those involved in patch work, dye, polishing and others.
“Saree material is supplied from here to Bihar and other parts of India too. Banarsi silk from here is supplied in the local market and abroad too,” he said. “The atmosphere is gloomy. The market gives employment to medium and small traders. When sales are down, production is slowed and it affects hundreds of people. In making one saree, four-six people are involved.”
Last Tuesday, ADM Verma had told the media that the administration would first go through the records related to the property. “We will check the records if it is a public or private property and then action will be taken…whether it is to be opened or not because as of now, the lock (of the temple) is closed and so far, no one has claimed to have locked it. Nobody is stopping anyone,” he said.
However, with the issue grabbing headlines, the Kashi Vidvat Parishad and the Sangh Parivar constituents have also jumped into the controversy.
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Kashi Vidvat Parishad’s grand plan
Sanatan Rakshak Dal state president Ajay Sharma told ThePrint that according to the Kashi Khand (a portion of the Skanda Mahapurana), the deity that presided over the Madanpura temple is known as ‘Siddheshwar’.
“On Page 247 of the Kashi Khand, it is mentioned that on the south of the pushpadanteshwar (another deity) lies the Sidheeshwar. If anyone worships him with panchopchaar (Hindu ritual of worship with five offerings), then he or she gets paramsiddhi (highest form of power) in dream. Near to it lies the Sidhteerth well which is now called the Gol chabutara,” he said.
Sharma claimed that there were about 18 old lingas “hidden towards the south of Pushpadanteshwar teerth”
“Ahead of this, between Kedar ji and here (gol chabutara), 18 lingas and teerth are being searched for by the ‘Kashi Dhundhe’ family and Sanatan Rakshak Dal. Several scholars of Kashi too are engaged in this work. In the Devnathpura and Madanpura area, 18 such temples are there including two Yogini idols. We don’t know where they are,” he added.
While Sharma’s outfit claims that there are over 400 such ‘lost temples’ or hidden ones across Varanasi, the Kashi Vidvat says that it too has a list of over 50 temples across Varanasi which it wants to revive.
Ram Narain Dwivedi, the general secretary (organisation) of the Parishad, told ThePrint that his organisation wanted to adopt all such temples where prayers no longer take place.
“It is the Parishad’s responsibility to ensure that prayers start in any such temple where raag-bhog is not happening at present. The Parishad is conducting a survey of all such temples. A list will be compiled and presented in our meeting with the Akhara Parishad, Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti and dharmacharyas on 17 January at Mahakumbh,” he said.
The Kashi Vidvat Parishad will propose that the Akhara Parishad establish a fund for the revival of such temples. “If the temple is under the control of any family, the family would be persuaded to either start prayers at the site or hand over the part of the land to the Akhara Parishad in exchange of the money at the prevailing circle rate,” Dwivedi said.
Meanwhile, the demand has created an atmosphere of uncertainty within the Muslim community, say local residents.
Last Tuesday, Shahabuddin, the owner of the Madanpura house where the temple is located, told mediapersons that the temple had been there since his childhood and that he would ensure that the structure would not be touched. “This property belongs to our ancestors. Nobody is denying that there is a temple. Please let the status quo remain. There is no need to highlight this so much. No change will happen here…please let peace prevail here,” he said.
To a query on the demand that prayers be allowed at the site, he said that it would not help anyone.
“This mohalla (neighbourhood) is of the poor, not the elite. People of modest background live here and a saree mandi (market place) exists. Some have stores, some weave (saree) borders. if somehow the people of the mandi are affected, thousands of people will face trouble….nobody will feed their families…. So, my request to all is that please maintain the status quo,” he pleaded.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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Excellent news indeed.
Benaras is the holiest city of Hinduism. Ideally, no other religious establishment should be allowed to exist within the city of Benaras.
The Muslims don’t allow anyone to build churches, gurdwaras or temples in Mecca and Medina. These are sacred sites of Islam and therefore exclusive to Islamic institutions.
Similarly, Benaras is the most sacred city in Hinduism and therefore, no churches or mosques should be allowed in the city. The city should be exclusive to Hindu religious establishments.