Priyanka Tiwari
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On account of a petition presented by Lord Shiva, who is the presiding deity of Chandigarh’s Prachin Shiv Mandir, a single bench of Punjab and Haryana High Court has permitted the temporary unsealing of the main gates of the temple for the devotees during the ‘Maha Shivratri’ celebration on 26 February and a ‘Langar Sewa’ on 2 March.
As per the directions, after 2 March, the doors have to be secured once again.
Considering the issues of safety, the military police will manage the crowd. It is said that the festival has many followers.
The order was passed by Justice Sureshwar Thakur and Justice Vikas Suri while considering a petition filed by Lord Shiva, represented by his counsel Dinesh Kumar Malhotra and Saksham Malhotra.
The petitioners contended that there is a great likelihood a stampede occurring if the gates of the temple are sealed for long periods of time.
Chandigarh administration informed the court that the temple premises are under their control after an eviction order which was made under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971.
The authority of the temple committee and the eviction order was not validated by the court.
As reported in the Indian Express, the court ordered that the safety of devotees during the upcoming religious events was the sole motivation behind the court order’s implementation.
It has been a contentious effort for both sides of the argument, including patrons and the temple administration, to the locking up of Prachin Shiv Mandir.
Prior to Maha Shivratri, this ruling provides a small leeway for the worshippers.
While the occupants claim that the order to remove them was valid, the temple’s restriction on entry borders discrimination over religion, according to the petitioner.
