A religious event chaired by J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday at the 8 th Century protected site of Martand Temple in south Kashmir’s Anantnag has landed into a controversy as the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) denied it issued any permission for holding puja at the core protected area on the premises.
L-G Sinha on Sunday took part in the Navgrah Ashtamangalam puja at the ancient Martand Sun temple in Mattan, Anantnag. The event saw the presence of saints, members of Kashmiri Pandit community and local residents, according to the Raj Bhawan. Later, the L-G termed the event a truly divine experience.
“We are making dedicated efforts to transform historical spiritual places of J&K into vibrant centers that will guide us on the path of righteousness and bless this beautiful land with peace, happiness and prosperity,” the L-G said, after the puja.
The ASI officials told The Hindu that the department was alerted about the visit of the L-G but “no permission was sought for puja” at the protected site.
The ASI does not allow religious events at protected monuments except the customary prayers that were being held prior to the ASI take over. It was for the first time that the puja of this scale was held within 200 meters of the core protected site, admitted another ASI official. The ASI officials said it has “not decided to allow large scale prayers” at this monument.
“This will set a precedent for other protected monuments in Kashmir. For example, no prayers are allowed at the Mulla Akhund mosque, which is also an ASI-protected site in Srinagar,” senior ex-ASI official said.
When contacted, Dr. Izhar Alam Hashmi, Superintending Archaeologist, Srinagar Circle, was not available for his comment.
However, a senior government official told The Hindu that prayers were being offered at the site since time immemorial. “The ASI took control of this temple for preservation purposes in view of its historical and architectural importance. Under Rule 7(2), no permission was required for customary practices,” he said.
Official sources said the district administration has no plan to make such a puja a regular feature at the protected site. However, it will not stop visitors from not praying at the site, they added.
