CHINTPURNI: The decision of Chintpurni Temple Trust Management to ban the entry of hereditary pujaris in side temple (Garav Grhea) in November last had probed a boon to the temple management as it had resulted in the increase in the offerings of temple by forty lakh in the month of November and rupees twenty eight lakh in the month of December just concluded.
Official sources told My Himachal News here today that in the month of October the total receipt of the temple was only rupees 84,90,829/- while the receipt in the month of November had touched new high by rupees 1,20,45,720/- and in the month of December it gone up to rupees 1,11,50,085/-. On an averaged there was increase of over rupees one lakh per day.
Though there was Navratra fair in the month of October, over five lakh additional devotees visited the temple, even then the receipt of the temple remained only 84,90,829/-, whereas the months of November and December were considered as lean period because of severe cold conditions in the region, inflow of devotees was reduced in these two months, even then there was steep rise in the receipts.
Now with the abnormal rise in the temple receipts in past two months after the banning of the entry of pujaris inside the temple (Garav Grhea), it had now been established that there was large scale pilferage of temple money was going on unchecked for the past many years. Besides, loosing rupees one lakh in cash per daily the temple was also loosing foreign currency and gold ornaments offered to the deity by the pilgrims. The main question being asked today in Chintpurni is, Who pocketed the huge amount in past?
It may be recalled that My Himachal News had carried a story on November 2nd highlighting the theft of valuable gold necklace from the temple . After the appearing of this news item in The Tribune, Deputy Commissioner of Una , who was also commissioner of temples, had banned the entry of all hereditary pujaris inside the main temple and they were not allowed to touch the cash and other offerings made to the Goddess by devotees daily.
Residents of Chintpurni are hurt over the failure of Una police in not solving the theft of Gold Necklace stolen from the temple in October. Though the police had registered a case on the complaint of temple officer Madan Lal Sharma but no headway was made so far. The persons allegedly involved in this case had been bailed out by a court at Una, as police had failed to produce any evidence before the court. The gold necklace was yet to be recovered.
Mr. Budh Ram Kalia , a pujari of Chintpurni urged Justice V.K. Gupta, Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh high court to intervene and save the Holy Shrine from the clutches of antisocial elements who had high political connections, looting the temple receipts and police was shielding them. The residents of Chintpurni had lost faith on the government agencies.
A senior journalist from Palampur.
While generating revenue is good, and working to remove “thiefs” is admirable, I cannot see the justification of discontinuing religious practices. Only Hindu temples siphon all their money to government. Only Hindu priests are forced to live and work in absolute poverty. Killing the practice is not the solution.