Madkai Mahajans get HC relief to change Navdurga idol, but…
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 23 February 2016 16:23 IST
The controversy over changing Devi Navdurga’s idol in Madkai seems becoming interesting as the Devasthan Mahajan today succeeded in getting the district court’s order ‘temporarily stayed’ by the high court.
Pending hearing on the application filed by the temple committee to stay the district court’s order, the Bombay high court at Goa today granted ex-parte interim relief to the Mahajans.
(Click below the news to read the high court order)
What it means in simple is that the temple committee can now go ahead with their plan to replace the idol, pending hearing on the issue of changing the idol.
But the Devasthan committee is not in a position to replace the idol immediately since the earlier programme, scheduled to begin from yesterday, had to be postponed due to district court order.
“Gokarn Partagal Mathadhish Swamiji would now decide the fresh dates of the 12-day long ceremony”, temple committee President Vallabh Kamat told goanews.com.
The committee’s earlier plan to have the idol changing ceremony from 22 February onwards was stalled as the District Court II in Ponda had ordered on 20 February, to maintain the status quo.
Kamat also said they would go ahead with the ceremony without having joint Koul Prasad, their earlier proposal, since the protesting villagers have already rejected the offer of Mahajans in this regard.
The temple committee had filed a petition in the high court today morning, challenging the district court’s order.
After hearing the arguments made by temple committee’s counsel Adv Subodh Kantak, Justice K L Wadane passed an ex-parte order of granting interim relief, while issuing notices to Shri Devi Navdurga Pratishthan and its trustees.
The Pratishthan, which comprises non-Mahajan villagers of Madkai, is opposing the temple committee’s programme of replacing the idol.
While demanding stay on the idol replacement ceremony, the protesting Pratishthan had also filed a suite in the district court, challenging temple committee’s claim that Shri Navdurga temple is a private property.
The temple committee has now filed two separate applications before the high court, challenging both the contentions of the Pratishthan.
While the high court has told the Pratishthan to reply to the notices by 25 February, Advocate General A N S Nadkarni was present in the court during today’s hearing, representing the government.
The temple committee has also made the Goa government authorities a party, besides the Pratishthan, which had filed a suit against the temple committee and the government authorities.
Kamat also confirmed with goanews.com that Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar had also intervened into the matter, following which South Goa SP Shekhar Prabhudesai had tried to negotiate the matter in order to resolve the issue.
“But the Pratishthan rejected our offer of having joint Koul Prasad to replace the idol”, he said.
While temple committee wants to replace the idol since it is in deteriorated condition, the protesting villagers have opposed it, stating that the idol could very well be restored with chemical treatment.
But the real issue behind it is the ownership of the temple, where protesting villagers claim that it is a public temple and not a private property of the few Mahajans.
navdurga_interim_relief
Justice prevails Imagine the trial court granting a stay over divine affairs Replacement of idol was undertaken only after divine go ahead I.e. prasad
Actually seems to be a casr of some vestef interests goafing some villagers to disrupt temple functioning and claim temple property
Greed, unfortunately has pushed even God aside. Wonder how villagers could ignore the divine assent for replacement of idol and go to court