VIDISHA, Aug 8 : The Vidisha district administration in Madhya Pradesh has cited an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) notification and refused to open the 11th century Bijamandal to allow Hindus to offer prayers on Nagpanchmi, which will be celebrated on Friday.
A group of Hindus had submitted a memorandum to Collector Buddhesh Kumar Vaidya to open the site in the heart of the city on Nagpanchami, when snakes are worshipped. In turn, the collector forwarded their plea to ASI, which, on August 2, cited a gazette notification of 1951 and stated Bijamandal was not a temple but a mosque.
Collector Vaidya told PTI the ASI is the custodian of the structure so he had forwarded the memorandum to allow it to take a call on the matter. Expressing disappointment, Shubham Verma, leader of the Hindu group that submitted the memorandum, told PTI, “We have been worshipping there (outside the structure) on Nagpanchami for the last 30 years but no one had said it was a mosque and not a temple.”
The sentiments of Hindus have been hurt with the ASI’s description of it as a mosque, said Verma showing the collector’s letter along with the ASI’s gazette notification. (PTI)
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