Committee to build Khapreshwar temple, install new idol at original site on May 9
MAPUSA/PORVORIM
The dispute over the Khapreshwar temple remains unresolved as the temple committee, led by its president Karthik Kudnekar, has rejected the government’s proposed plan.
Instead, the committee, with the support of local villagers, has announced its decision to build a separate temple and perform the Punarsthapana to install a new idol at the original site on
May 9.
Speaking on the issue, Kudnekar asserted that temple matters should be left to the committee and the villagers, with no interference from the government.
“The government’s role is to look after administration, not temple affairs. Politics and religion cannot go hand in hand,” he stated.
At a recent meeting, the temple committee decided to proceed with the idol installation at the original location.
Kudnekar emphasised that the project would be entirely funded by villagers, with no financial or logistical assistance from the government.
“Whatever contributions the villagers make will be accepted, but we will not take any help from the authorities,” he added.
“The committee has already started receiving donations from the public. The committee has decided to place an order of a new idol of Khapreshwar and after performing rituals, the idol will be installed,” said Kudnekar.
“We are going ahead with the Punarsthapana of Khapreshwar idol by arranging our own funds and in May, all devotees will find their God Khapreshwar at the same location where it existed,” said Kudnekar.
In an attempt to resolve the issue, the government had proposed a plan on Tuesday to construct a new temple at a nearby site while installing a ‘ghumti’ at the original location.
However, this proposal has been met with scepticism and resistance from the locals.
Dipesh Naik, a resident of the area, questioned how the government arrived at its decision without consulting the temple committee.
“The temple committee had not approached any government authority regarding this matter. How can the government decide on its own?” he asked, expressing concerns over the lack of communication.
Social worker Shankar Phadte also criticised the government’s involvement, stating that it had no authority to decide the location or number of temples.
“If a temple is demolished due to road widening or development, the government’s role should be limited to providing compensation to the temple committee,” he asserted.
Another devotee claimed that in the first place the State government had blundered by demolishing the Khapreshwar temple on its own.
“Nowhere in the order of high court was it mentioned that the Khapreshwar temple should be demolished. It existed beyond the distance of 25 metres and hence the contractor had no right to touch the shrine,” said the devotee.
“If two temples of Dev Khapreshwar are allowed by State government in Socorro, it will set up a very bad precedent and there will two temples/ shrines of the same God in the same village all over Goa.”
“This is totally unfair. The State government should step in and allow the existing committee of the Khapreshwar devastan to perform that Punarsthapana of Khapreshwar idol at the same location in Socorro.”
With the temple committee and villagers determined to go ahead with their plan independently, the controversy surrounding the Khapreshwar temple issue appears far from being resolved.
