“Destruction due to tampering with faith:- Rajeshwaranand”
The Diplomat Desk
Jammu :TDD,Shiv Sena (UBT) and Swami Rajeshwaranand Maharaj from Sant Samaj has demanded the cancellation of the ropeway project on Tarakot road of Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Yatra, accusing it of destroying the original form of the yatra and tampering with religious faith.
Today, at Maharaja Hari Singh statue site in Jammu, under the leadership of Shri Rajmata Jhandewalan Temple Group’s Paramadhyaksha Swami Rajeshwaranand Maharaj and Shiv Sena (UBT) State Chief Manish Sahni, a peaceful Darna demonstration was held while
holding placards with messages like “Ropeway – a project to destroy the form of the yatra”, “Ropeway will make the yatra incomplete”, “Not ropeway – yatra circuit should be made” etc. Swami Rajeshwaranand Ji Maharaj said that in the past years, the Shrine Board has provided many facilities to the pilgrims, which is a commendable work. But the ropeway project is basically a tampering with the Shri Vaishno Devi Yatra and playing with the religious sentiments of the believers. From the economic point of view, the purpose of visiting the pilgrimages is to give the message of religion, wealth, work and salvation to the worldly people, but when the livelihood of the local people, including daily wage laborers, porters, mules, small shopkeepers, is snatched away, then the importance of the Devi Darshan Tirtha will become zero.
On the other hand, Shiv Sena (UBT) state chief Manish Sahni, accusing of spoiling the nature of the Yatra, said that due to the ropeway facility, devotees will not be able to get the privilege of visiting the Holy temples like Banganga, Charan Paduka, Ardhkunwari etc. The Shrine Board will have to give up its stubborn attitude on the ropeway project while respecting our religious faith. Sahni has demanded from the Shrine Board to use the Rs 250 crore earmarked for the ropeway for the upliftment of famous, historical temples of Jammu and Katra and to create a Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Yatra Circuit with famous and historical temples on the lines of Lord Shri Ram Temple of Ayodhya. So that the devotees get the full blessings of the Mother Goddess and the economy gets a boost. On this occasion Omkar Singh, Ranjit Singh, Vikram Singh, Prabhav Singh, Kewal Singh, Narendra Singh, Pandit Narendra Kumar , Karan Singh from Katra Vyapar Mandal Darud and Meenakshi Chhibber, Jai Bharti, Vikas Bakshi, Balwant Singh, Geeta Lakhotra, Dimple Sanjeev Kumar and many other leaders and workers were present from Shiv Sena.TDD
