A heated arguement broke out between the Shripujaks, Paschim Maharashtra Devasthan Samiti and the police at Mahalaxmi temple on Monday, the second day of Navratra
This time, the barricading makes the temple premises look like an international border, with devotees being treated like terrorists,” a protester said. The confrontation broke out on the second day of Navaratra when Shripujaks (priests) accused the administration of interfering in religious practices and insulting them by obstructing temple rituals. The protest inside the temple premises briefly disrupted the otherwise festive atmosphere. Since Navaratra began, devotees and priests have been voicing anger over altered entry and exit routes and extensive barricading put in place by police. Instead of easing movement, the measures have triggered confusion, longer queues and growing resentment among devotees. “The administration claims there is coordination between the authorities, the Devasthan Samiti and the police, but it has forgotten the connection between devotees and the goddess. Lakhs of devotees visit the Mahalaxmi temple every year with deep faith. The protesters warned that if the barricades were not removed, they would take matters into their own hands and dismantle them from Tuesday. The episode exposed growing cracks in coordination between Paschim Maharashtra Devasthan Samiti, police and temple stakeholders at a time when lakhs of devotees are expected during the nine-day festival.
Kolhapur : A row over crowd management at Kolhapur’s Mahalaxmi temple erupted into a public fracas on Monday, with priests, temple authorities and police clashing over barricading and movement restrictions that devotees say have turned a revered pilgrimage into an ordeal.