Chhath Puja to continue at Sidhgora Surya Mandir, but no cultural event

Clashes prompt District Administration to clamp down restriction, disallow cultural programs at Surya Mandir

Jamshedpur: The East Singhbhum administration suddenly turned itself on in an active mode on the Sidhgora Suryua Mandir Chhath festival cultural programme issue. It has banned cultural programmes on the mandir complex premises, although Chhath puja by devotees would continue in the normal way.

The issue of holding a cultural programme has been simmering under the surface for quite some time and was creating unnecessary tension that resulted in a clash between Raghubar Das and Saryu Roy supporters on Friday.

The incident woke up the district administration out of slumber and it decided to clamp down strict rules on Chhath Puja celebrations on the Sidhgora Surya Mandir premises.

On Saturday, Deputy Commissioner of the district Vijaya Jadhav held a meeting with the former Chief Minister Raghubar Das in Circuit House.

Soon after this, the adminstration announced that no cultural program would be allowed on Chhath festival at the Surya Mandir complex, although puja would go about unhindered in the normal way.

The clashes of Friday night prompted the administration to order deployment of police force in Surya Mandir and surrounding areas.

The district administration has also deployed RAF personnel, while the Deputy Commissioner Vijaya Jadhav has asked former Chief Minister Raghubar Das in this matter to not insist on holding a cultural programme.

The DC met the BJP leader Raghubar Das at the Circuit House.

Later, the Deputy Commissioner Vijaya Jadhav said that except the temple complex and Chhath Ghat, all other places have been closed for the time being.

She said that the devotees will reach the ghat and return after puja in the normal manner, but there will be no cultural program on the premises.

She also said that t district administration team will keep a close watch on the said site and the police force will be deployed in the entire campus.

Earlier, soon after the clashes at Sidhgora Surya Mandir complex of Jamshedpur, the district administration clamped section 144 in the area.

On Chhath festival, all the devotees will offer puja on first come first serve basis and will be able to observe rituals peacefully. There is no restriction on worshiping anywhere on the temple premises. But any kind of event has been disallowed in and around the temple premises.

DC Vijaya Jadhav has has banned any kind of event, including the cultural event, that had become a bone of contention between the opposing groups.

Illegal gathering on the premises has been banned. At the same time, if someone wants to distribute Prasad or if someone wants to set up a service camp, then there will be no restriction on that.

In fact, following this order the former Chief Minister Raghubar Das went about distributing fruits and Chhath items among the devotees near the Surya Mandir.