Kathmandu, Jan 08: Prayers resumed at one of the
world's most sacred shrine, the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu on Thursday in
the presence of hundreds of people with the just-reinstated
Indian priests performing the 'Nitya Puja'.
Three Indian priests headed by Chief Priest Mahabaleshwor
Bhatta and two others, Ganesh Bhatta and Ramkrishna Bhatta,
whose family has been leading the prayers for over 300 years,
were back in limelight, a day after the Maoist government
reversed its decision to replace them.
The Maoists had to bow to intense pressure from Hindu
groups and political parties both at home and abroad to bring
back the Indian priests.
A number of India devotees, including cinestar and Member
of Parliament Govinda were present for the resumption of puja
in the temple after a break of a week, amidst protests and
court battles, said Narottam Vaidya, religious activist and
former member of the PADT.
The new priests appointed by Pashupati Area Development
Trust (PADT), of which Premier Prachanda is the patron, have
been sacked and the Trust has been directed to start fresh
process to appoint new priests adopting formal procedures.
The sacking of Indian priests had sparked widespread
protests, with local Hindu groups, supported by the Nepali
Congress charging that protocol was not adhered to while
making new appointments.
The Supreme Court had issued an interim order recently,
asking the government to allow the Indian priests to continue
prayers. It had nullified the appointment of the new priests.
"I have cancelled the appointment of the new priests
immediately and urged the old (Indian) priests to continue
with the religious ceremony," Prachanda said. Nepal government's decision comes after Prachanda's
meeting with visiting Indian actress and Rajya Sabha MP
Shabana Azmi during which he told her that he would abide by
the Supreme Court's decision on the issue.
More than 2,000 people were present to observe the
resumption of prayers at the holy Hindu shrine, Vaidya said.
The Bhandaris or the aides of the temple have asked the
authorities to ensure that the assets of the temple are intact
after the Maoists stormed the shrine last week to escort the
Maoist-appointed priests.
Meanwhile, local Hindu groups, the Bhandaris and local
people prepared to celebrate the reinstatement of the priests
by organising a rally later in the day.
Meanwhile, the World Hindu Federation demanded the
resignation of the Maoist Minister for Culture Gopal Kirati as
he was involved in the controversial decision to appoint new
priests.
The President of the Federation's Nepal chapter Bhola Jha
also demanded resignation of the PADT's member secretary and
dissolution of the executive board that made the controversial
decision to appoint the new priests.
The PADT's executive committee should be re-constituted
with the involvement of religious personalities and people
from the civil society, he said.
Bureau Report
zee
First Published: Thursday, January 08, 2009, 00:00