Unable to pay obeisance at the Someshwar Mahadev temple located in Raisen fort in Madhya Pradesh for the want of ASI permission, senior BJP leader Uma Bharti on Monday decided to give up food "for peace of mind" till she is allowed to perform a 'Jalabhishek' or water ritual at the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Bharti reached the temple, located around 50 km away from Bhopal, this morning to perform the ritual but had to offer prayers from outside the temple as the Archaeological Society of India (ASI) did not give permission to open this temple till Monday. "I am deeply anguished for not being able to offer 'Jalabhishek' at the Someshwar Mahadev temple. To control my emotions and to have peace of mind, I have given up food till I can worship at Someshwar Mahadev temple," Bharti, who had served as the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh during 2003-04, said in a statement.
Earlier, Bharti had written to the Raisen collector for making arrangements for the water ritual she wanted to perform at the temple on Monday after Navratri. After receiving Bharti's letter, district collector Arvind Dubey wrote to ASI authorities.
But the ASI didn't permit to open this temple till Monday. As per historian Rajiv Lochan Choube, Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri had defeated local ruler Puranmal deceitfully in 1543 and took over the fort and the temple, which remained locked since. A mosque came up at the site.
After 1947, the Raisen Fort and the temple came under the supervision of the Central Archaeology Department, and the then chief minister Prakash Chandra Sethi allowed worship for one day on Mahashivratri following a public agitation in 1974, Choube said.
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(Published 11 April 2022, 13:53 IST)
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