ASI order over performing rituals in temples in Devgiri Fort sparks row
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jun 27: An Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) order discouraging performing pooja in temples located in the Devgiri (Daulatabad) Fort complex in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district has drawn criticism from different quarters, including the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT).
According to the order, performing pooja or any other rituals in these temples of the centuries-old fortified citadel protected by the ASI will be a breach of law.
As per the June 4 order which surfaced on social media platforms on Thursday, priest of Bharat Mata Temple located on the fort's foothills, Raju Kanjune, has been stopped from performing rituals.
Being a non-living monument, permitting rituals in any of the temples located in the fort's premises will be a breach of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, according to the ASI which functions under the Union Ministry of Culture.
Two other Hindu shrines -- Sankat Vinayak Ganesh Temple and Janardan Swami Temple -- are located top the fort.
The ASI order has sparked a controversy with Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council Ambadas Danve of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maratha quota activist Vinod Patil questioning the move.
When contacted, a senior ASI official told PTI, "The Devgiri Fort is a non-living monument and there is no permission for performing pooja here. No priest can perform rituals, but tourists can visit the fort freely."
Danve, in a post on X, said pooja is being performed in Bharat Mata Temple, Sankat Vinayak Ganesh Temple and Janardan Swami Temple for years and long before the fort came under the ASI jurisdiction.
"Then how is the fort a non-living monument?" he questioned.
He sought to know if the central government will impose restrictions on Ganesh Temple, where yearly provision of rituals was made during Peshwas (medieval-era ministers of Maratha empire), and 'dindi' (procession) that comes to Janardan Swami Temple every year in 'Margashirsh' (ninth month of Hindu calendar).
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also sought to know if the same kind of curbs will be imposed on the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb located in Khultabad in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
Maratha quota activist Patil said, "Bharat Mata Temple was established by freedom fighters after the region was freed from Nizam and pooja is being done here since 1948. There are many ASI sites where a holiday is declared for the sake of a specific religion. The state government should intervene and resolve the issue."
Co-convener of INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) Swapnil Joshi said "Bharat Mata is being worshipped in the Devgiri Fort prior to independence. So the entire fort cannot be a non-living monument. Deities here are being worshipped much before the ASI came into existence.
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Dense fog disrupts operations at Delhi airport; 228 flights cancelled, 5 diverted
New Delhi (PTI): Dense fog disrupted flight operations at Delhi Airport on Monday, with various airlines cancelling 228 flights and diverting five to nearby airports due to low visibility, an official said.
However, except for Air India, which had in an X post in the morning announced the cancellation of some 40 flights, no other airlines, including crisis-hit IndiGo, shared the numbers of their cancelled or delayed flights.
"As many as 228 flights -- 131 departures and 97 arrivals-- have been cancelled due to low visibility, so far," the airport official said.
In addition to this, five flights have been diverted so far, he said.
Earlier, the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), in a statement, said, "Our on-ground officials are working closely with all stakeholders to assist passengers and provide necessary support across Terminals.
"Low visibility (below minima), due to dense fog, has severely impacted operations at Delhi and other airports across northern India, which is unfortunately beyond our control," IndiGo said in a statement.
As operations are adjusted to prevailing weather conditions, some flights may experience delays, while a few others may be proactively cancelled during the day to prioritise safety and minimise extended waiting at the airport, the airline said in a statement.
IndiGo, however, did not say how many of its flights were cancelled or delayed.
The airline said its teams are "closely monitoring" the situation and coordinating with Delhi airport.
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IndiGo also said it issued advisories to its customers and "proactively" informing them, to minimise inconvenience.
“Poor visibility due to dense fog in Delhi this morning has impacted flight operations for all airlines. We are closely monitoring conditions and will resume operations as soon as it is safe to do so,” Air India said in a post on X in the morning.
It also said that some flights have been cancelled In the interest of safety, and to avoid prolonged uncertainty for the guests, while listing out some 40 arrivals and departures that it had cancelled for the day.
Delhi airport is the country's busiest, handling around 1,300 flight movements daily.
