Temple administration of Kashi Vishwanath temple allows 8 priests of different states to perform rituals

The temple administration of the Kashi Vishwanath temple (KVT) in Varanasi has allowed eight priests of different states to enter the temple for performing rituals as per tradition.

The decision comes after the team probing the May 7 Kashi Vishwanath temple''s Saptarishi Aarti row, submitted its report to the district authorities.

However, the entry of temple''s former mahant and his family members to perform the rituals of Saptarishi Aarti has not been permitted as they did not reply to the notices issued to them, said KVT chief executive officer Vishal Singh.

Varanasi District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma said: "The ADM City and SP Security, who had been assigned the task to probe into the May 7 incident of performing of Saptarishi Aarti on road near gate-4 of temple, have submitted their report to me.

"This report has been forwarded to the principal secretary (religious affairs), divisional commissioner, temple administration to initiate further action with the finding of investigation and recommendations."

The district magistrate said that during the investigation it was found that some photographs, which were taken when the house of former mahant was getting vacated in March, were issued by them claiming them as current photographs to prove that portions of a temple inside KV corridor had been damaged.

"The investigators found that these photographs were released with ill-intention of instigating religious sentiment of people at the time of lockdown. This could be a conspiracy," he said.

The district magistrate of Varanasi is the ex-officio member of the temple trust.

Recommendation has been made by investigators to initiate action against a member of former mahant family who led the entire episode.

"The livelihood of former mahant family depends on temple, but instead of performing their responsibility at a time of lockdown, this act amounts to disloyalty for the temple and breach of trust," said the district magistrate.

He said that course of action in this regard would be decided by the religious affairs department, divisional commissioner, temple administration and trust. He said a case has already been lodged against the persons who performed rituals on road by violating lockdown.

Regarding action against the priests who took part in the rituals performed on road on May 7, the temple''s CEO said that eight priests from different states had given their reply to temple administration against the notices issued to them for their act.

He said that satisfied with their reply, the temple administration had allowed them to perform rituals in temple like past. The former mahant and his family did not give any reply against notices given to them hence no decision had been taken to allow their entry in temple to perform rituals of Saptarishi Aarti.

It may be recalled that on May 7, an awkward situation was created in and around the KVT when two parallel Saptarishi aartis of Lord Vishwanath were performed.

While a group of priests belonging to family and group of former mahant of temple performed the aarti on road, another aarti was performed inside temple''s sanctum sanctorum by the priests arranged by the temple administration.

Later a probe was ordered into the incident.