PRAY, WHY WERE RULES FLOUTED?

The Temple saw J&K L-G Manoj Sinha offering prayers there, despite it violating ASI rules. By revitalising sites of Hindu temples, a clear strategy is being etched out which will pay dividends during polls

- Vikram Kilpady

MONARCH of the 8th-century Karkota dynasty Lalitaditya Muktapida would surely be happy that prayers were offered recently at Martand Sun Temple, which he had commissioned, in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The prayers took place centuries after the Temple's destruction in the 14th century and much after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) took charge of the ruins. Therein hangs a tale.

To be precise, prayers were offered twice at Martand Temple. The second time it had among the assembled devouts, J&K Lieutenant-governor Manoj Sinha. This was done with the district administration's permission, even though it requires the centre's clearance.

The ASI has been up in arms against the offering of prayers at the monument. Its officials have been anonymously quoted by several newspapers, crying murder. The rules are clear and yet subject to interpretation, or so it seems, as far as the district officials who gave the function the go-ahead are concerned.

The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Rules 1959, has stated in Rule 7, across two sub-sections under the head "Holding of meetings, etc. in monuments", that: "(1) No protected monument shall be used for the purpose of holding any meeting, reception, party, conference or entertainment except under and in accordance with a permission in writing granted by the Central Government. "(2) Nothing in sub-rule (1) shall apply to any meeting, reception, party, conference or entertainment, which is held in pursuance of a recognized religious usage or custom."