National
Assault on Mithila culture: Priest
Ramtapeshwor Das Baishnab, the Mahantha of Janaki Temple, has termed Wednesday’s incident in Janakpur as unfortunate.Shyamsundar Shashi
Ramtapeshwor Das Baishnab, the Mahantha of Janaki Temple, has termed Wednesday’s incident in Janakpur as unfortunate. The priest said some unruly people had assaulted on the Mithila culture by running riot on the temple premises while President Bidhya Devi Bhandari visited the shrine on the occasion of Ram Janaki Bibaha Mahotsav.
After security personnel and some enraged locals entered the temple wearing shoes and leather accessories, devotees were saddened. President Bhandari’s bodyguard and other security personnel entered the temple without taking off the ritually banned items.
Likewise, locals of Janakpur also reached the temple premises on their shoes and vandalised the silver door of the Janaki temple. Madhesi activists were angry with Mahantha Das for inviting the President who they accused of making remarks against Madhes and the Madhesi people. Organising a press meet on Saturday, Mahantha Das said both the incidents had insulted the Mithila culture. “It’s a crime to enter the temple premises wearing shoes and leather accessories,” said Das, claiming that he has a video and pictures of those involved in the vandalism.
Mahantha Das said he would make the proof public soon. The agitating leaders of the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) have demanded punishment against Das for inviting the head of state to the ceremony.
However, the Mahantha claimed that he had not invited her. “Mahanthas are under the Ministry of Land Reforms. We cannot bar devotees from the temple,” said Das, referring to the tradition of providing Mala Prasad to the VIPs.
Some of the local leaders also protested after the
single woman was invited
as the chief guest at the Bibaha Mahotsav. Dhanusha District Chairman of Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party Parameshwor Sah, however, claimed that they had not
discriminated against single women.
The Madhes Rights Struggle Committee (MRSC) and the SLMM “purified”
the temple premises arguing that the shrine “became impure after the visit of President Bhandari”. They cleaned the temple with “holy” water and milk.
MRSC Chairman Dhar-bendra Kumar Sah said
they had purified the temple after security personnel and other people had entered it wearing shoes.
The SLMM has formed a committee to investigate the incident. Representatives of the committee have met Mahantha Das to collect information. Rights activist Rajesh Kumar Karna said they were looking for the people involved in the vandalism.