Skipped Shimla meeting as it was Cong affair: Maheshwar

Our Correspondent

KULLU, SEPTEMBER 21

Maheshwar Singh, Kullu MLA and “chharibardar” (chief caretaker) of Raghunath temple, alleged that the state-level meeting of the International Kullu Dasehra festival held in Shimla on September 19 under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was a meeting of the Congress and he skipped it to avoid being let down during the meeting.

Addressing mediapersons here today, he stated that the Chief Minister was giving anomalous statements regarding the formation of the trust for Raghunath temple located at the Sultanpur region of Kullu district despite that the matter was sub judice. The government had issued a notification on July 25 for the formation of trust of Raghunath temple. Maheshwar Singh had challenged the decision in the High Court on July 30 claiming the temple to be his private property.

Maheshwar said earlier the Chief Minister had stated that carrrying of a palanquin on the shoulder would not be allowed and later his Cabinet minister stated that “chharibardar” would be the one to decide how to conduct the rituals.

He stated that he recently approached the Governor to intervene in the matter so that he could perform the religious ceremonies that his ancestors had been performing. These ceremonies mark the beginning of the Dasehra celebrations.

Maheshwar Singh said Kullu Dasehra commences with the coming of Lord Raghunath from the Raghunath temple followed by the rath yatra. The Folk Dance festival is inaugurated later during the evening by the chief guest at Kala Kendra. He added that Kullu Dasehra concluded with the Lanka Dahan ceremony and return of Lord Raghunath to his sanctum sanctorum in the evening of the 7th day, while the official closing of the International Folk Dance Festival is conducted during the afternoon before Lanka Dahan.

Maheshwar alleged that the Chief Minister should understand that two should not be mixed to maintain the sanctity of the traditional rituals being carried out since ages.

He stated that even earlier in 1972 the government had tried to interfere with the traditional rituals and then the DB Lal Commission had provided relief to the royal family to carry out the ancient traditions.