Wednesday, 28 June 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
A Shiva temple located on Dehradun road ahead of Mani Mai temple in the Doiwala area under the Lachhiwala forest range was reportedly demolished in the wee hours of Tuesday. Several locals along with people belonging to Hindu groups reached the location on Tuesday morning and expressed their anger towards the authorities concerned. They claimed that the temple is nearly two centuries old and its demolition is demeaning to lord Shiva as well as to his devotees.
Avinash Singh, a devotee and local who is associated with a Hindu group said that several devotees arrive for darshan here daily and Bhandaras are also held every year before the commencement of the month of Sawan. He said that arrangements for the stay of pilgrims during the Kanwar Yatra are also done here every year. He said that when he along with other devotees reached the temple and found it demolished, they approached the police and asked them about the incident who denied having any information regarding the matter.
When the locals questioned forest officials about the demolition, they did not give them any direct answer and rather commented that the said temple was a Mazar earlier, claimed the locals. The priest of the temple also claimed that as per the Supreme Court’s order, religious bodies established illegally after the year 2000 should be demolished but the authorities have demolished a 200-year-old temple. Calling it an insult to the Hindu religion, the locals demanded the authorities and the state government to take strict action against those responsible for demolishing the temple. A police official also stated that the police reached the location after some locals approached them where they came to know that the demolition work was done under the forest department. “We have asked the locals to talk about the issue to the respective forest official,” he added.
