Odisha opposes NMA s draft bylaws for Lingaraj and Brahmeswar Temples

Two days after the Centrewithdrew the notification of the draft bylaws of NationalMonuments Authority (NMA) for Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri,Odisha government Thursday urged the ministry of culture torelax the proposed restrictions for Lingaraj and BrahmeswarTemples here.

The Commissioner of the Endowment, Odisha and Khurdadistrict collector, who is also the president of Lord LingarajTemple Trust Board, in separate letters to the NMA urged thatthe notification be withdrawn immediately as the two templesare ''living monuments'' as the Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri.

Khurda Collector, S K Mohanty in his letter said thatthe draft bylaws prohibit beautification and constructionworks around the temple. The state government has clearedstructures on 75 metre radius of the Lingaraj Temple todevelop a heritage corridor.

It was to get the technical know-how of theArchaeological Survey of India (ASI) for conservation of theancient structure that the trustees of Lord Lingaraj TempleTrust Board entered into an agreement with ASI on February 10,1958.

''The agreement restricts and codifies duties andresponsibilities of ASI vis-a-vis Temple Trust. The barereading of the agreement indicates that the importance of LordLingaraj Temple as one of the Shiva Pitha for Hindus all overthe world was given due consideration when the Trust Boardagreed to involve ASI in certain conservation works of theancient built structures, the Collector wrote.

He said that a large number of habitations (Sahis)housing servitors which are more than millennium old existaround the Lingaraj Temple.

These servitors have been providing services to thetemple and the deity for long. As they are likely to beseverely and adversely affected by the draft notification,they must be consulted before any process to restrict theirrights is undertaken by NMA, the collector said.

This is also important as any adverse impact onservitors will have a direct bearing on the continuity of NitiKanti (rituals) of Lord Lingaraj, his letter said.

Moreover, the state government has recently acquiredland and properties for strengthening the safety and securityof the centuries-old shrine and also beautification of theperipheral areas under Ekamra Development Plan, he said.

This project will provide the pilgrims with facilitieslike drinking water, cloak rooms and queue management system,he said.

The acquisition by the government was made throughnegotiations and most of the people came forward to give awaytheir ancestral lands and properties for the comfort of thedevotees who come to the city from faraway places, he said.

This was possible because of the deep religious andspiritual connection of the people with the diety and thetemple, the letter said.

The Commissioner of Endowments, Odisha, C R Mohapatrain his letter to the NMA urged for withdrawal of the bye-lawsframed for Brahmeswar Temple.

The controversy over the draft heritage bylaws eruptedafter the NMA, which is under the ministry of culture recentlyreleased the proposed heritage bylaws for the Shri Jagannath,Ananta Basudeva and Brahmeswar temples, defining various zonesfor their conservation and periphery development.

The draft bylaws for Ananta Basudev covers a sectionof the Lingaraj Temple in its regulated zone, while those forBrahmeswar have Bhaskareswar and Megheswar temples within its300-m radius.

The NMA draft bylaws identifies space within 100 mradius of monuments as prohibited zones, while the area 200meters beyond comes under regulated zones where no activitiesare allowed without prior permission of the Centre.

On February 8 the Centre withdrew the draft heritagebylaws for Shri Jagannath Temple in Puri after Odisha stronglyopposed the move.

On Tuesday Union Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patelsaid that only draft heritage bylaws for Sri Jagannath templein Puri have been withdrawn. But it remained in force forAnanta Basudev and Brahmeswar temples in Ekamra Kshetra ofBhubaneswar.