Par panel recommends permitting worship at ASI sites having 'religious significance'
New Delhi, Dec 11: A parliamentary panel has recommended to the Centre to explore the possibility of permitting worship at ASI-protected monuments having "religious significance" if it can be established that this would not have a detrimental effect on their conservation.
The department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture has said this in its 'Three Hundred Sixty Third Report on the Action Taken by the Government on the recommendations/observations of the Committee contained in its Three Hundred Twenty-Fourth Report' on 'Issues relating to Untraceable Monuments and Protection of Monuments in India', which was presented in both Houses on Friday.
"The Committee feels that several historical monuments across the country hold immense religious significance to a large number of people and allowing pujas/worship/ certain religious activities at such monuments can fulfil legitimate aspirations of the people," the panel said in its observations in the report.
"The Committee, therefore, recommends that ASI may explore the possibility of permitting pujas/worship/certain religious activities at historical Centrally Protected Monuments of religious significance, subject to the condition that it can be established that such activities would not have any detrimental effect on the state of conservation and preservation of the monument," it said.
The Ministry of Culture in its response to the observations of the panel has said that it has noted them for "exploring feasibility".
"In this regard, it is to submit that as per the policy decision revival of worship is not allowed where it was not in vogue at the time of protection or abandoned since long," the ministry has told the panel.
A senior official of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) said, according to the AMSAR (Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains) Act, if a site was not a religious one or any religious activity was not being carried out at the time ASI took it into its custody, then worshipping or any other religious activity cannot be allowed there.
However, if that was the norm at the time of its taking over by the ASI, such religious practices are permitted.
An example is the Taj Mahal, where Friday prayers are permitted as it was done when the ASI brought it under its ambit, sources said.
Lingaraja Temple in Odisha is maintained by the ASI and a temple trust, so puja is allowed there, as it has been conducted for a very long time. Worshipping is permitted at a temple in the Khajuraho temple complex also similarly, the sources said.
However, when ASI took over the ruins of the ancient Martand Sun Temple in Jammu and Kashmir, it was already in a state of ruins where worshipping had stopped long ago, and therefore, can't be permitted according to the existing norms, they said.
The department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture in its report has also expressed a "deep concern and disappointment at this apparent lack of seriousness," on the part of the ministry in responding to the panel's recommendations addressing critical issues.
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Strict security measures in place in Mumbai for Messi's events at 2 venues Dec 14, say police
Mumbai (PTI): In view of Argentine superstar footballer Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai on Sunday, the city police are implementing stringent security measures, like not allowing water bottles, metals, coins inside the stadiums and setting up watchtowers to keep an eye on the crowd, officials said.
The police also said taking extra care to avoid any stampede-like situation and to prevent recurrence of the chaotic situation that unfolded in Kolkata during Messi's visit on Saturday as thousands of fans protested inside the Salt Lake stadium here after failing to catch a clear glimpse of the football icon despite paying hefty sums for tickets.
Messi is expected to be present at the Cricket Club of India (Brabourne Stadium) in Mumbai on Sunday for a Padel GOAT Cup event followed by attending a celebrity football match. He is expected to proceed to the Wankhede Stadium for the GOAT India Tour main event around 5 pm.
"In view of Lionel Messi's visit to Mumbai, the police are geared up and have put in place a high level of security arrangements in and around the stadiums located in south Mumbai. Considering the chaos that prevailed in Kolkata and the security breach, we have deployed World Cup-level security arrangements at Brabourne and Wankhede stadiums," an official said.
Expecting heavy crowd near the stadiums during Messi's visit, the city police force has deployed more than 2,000 of its personnel near and around both the venues, he said.
As the Mumbai police have the experience of security 'bandobast' during the victory parade of ICC World Cup-winning Indian team and World Cup final match at the Wankhede Stadium, in which over one lakh cricket fans had gathered, we are prepared to handle a large crowd of fans, he said.
"We are trying to avoid the errors that occurred in the past," the official said.
There is no place to sneak inside the stadiums in Mumbai like the Kolkata stadium, according to him.
The police are also asking the organisers to provide all the required facilities to the fans inside the stadium, so that there will be no chaos, he said, adding the spectators have purchased tickets in the range of Rs 5,000 to 25,000. After paying so much of amount, any spectator expects proper services, while enjoying the event, he said.
The police are expecting 33,000 spectators at the Wankhede Stadium and over 4,000 at Brabourne Stadium. Besides this, more than 30,000 people are expected outside and around the stadiums just to have a glimpse of the football sensation, he said.
The organisers responsible for Messi's India visit recently came to Mumbai to discuss security arrangements. During the meeting, the Mumbai police asked them not to take the event lightly, according to the official.
After those requirements were fulfilled, the final security deployment was chalked out, he said.
Police has the standard procedure of the security arrangements inside the Wankhede Stadium, where people are barred from taking water bottles, metals objects, coins. Police are setting up watch towers near the stadiums and there will be traffic diversions, so that there is maximum space available to stand, according to the official.
Police are also appealing to the spectators to use public transport service for commuting and avoid personal vehicles to reach south Mumbai.
To avoid any stampede-like situation, police are also taking precautionary measures and will stop the fans some distance ahead of the stadium and public announcement systems will be used to guide the crowd. Barricades will be placed at various places to manage the crowd.
In case the crowd swells up beyond expectation, the police will divert people to other grounds and preparations in this regard underway, he said.
Additional police force has been deployed in south Mumbai to tackle any kind of situation, he said.
