BHUBANESWAR: Puri’s Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati on Wednesday hit out at the Naveen Patnaik government for allegedly destroying rich heritage on the pretext of development. His outburst comes after scathing remarks from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and BJP on the issue. A ‘hush-hush late night survey’ was also undertaken by the government near the temple.
Two years ago, the state demolished several ancient mutts within a 75-metre radius of the shrine and acquired their properties to implement the Rs 800-crore Jagannath heritage corridor project “Several mutts, along with the temples on their premises, were destroyed in the name of development. I am not against development. But it should not come at the expense of Puri’s historical, spiritual and archaeological significance. Puri’s identity and essence should remain intact,” Saraswati said on Wednesday, a day after he held an all-party meeting with the representatives of BJD, BJP and Congress at Govardhan mutt in Puri.
Saraswati, who is also the seer of Govardhan mutt, said the government should not convert Puri from a tapobhumi to bhogbhumi. “Puri is the religious capital of Odisha. The government should not kill its religious significance to turn it into a picnic or exhibition centre. The government should not think that a public mandate makes it all-powerful. The public opinion may change any time,” he warned, adding that the destruction of the mutts and temples may invite trouble for the state. “I urge the CM and the PM to ensure that Puri’s spiritual identity is preserved,” he said.
