M A I N   N E W S

Shops, serai razed on ‘divine order’
S.P. Sharma and M.C. Thakur

Shimla, November 11
To fulfil the “divine orders”, hundreds of residents of five adjoining villages have converged on Vashisht near Manali to do “kar seva” for demolishing buildings which have been identified by the oracle as encroachments on the land of the ancient temple of Muni Vashisht.

Three shops and a century-old serai (inn) were demolished today. The oracle of the deity has identified 11 shops and some houses as encroachments and has also taken strong exception to the conversion of the villages into a jungle of concrete.

At least one person from each household of the five villages — Vashisht, Chadiari, Kanchanikul, Kaushla and Mathiana — was bound to participate in the “kar seva” otherwise they shall have to pay a fine to the temple. Men, women and children were engaged in demolishing these structures and clearing the debris. The residents of the area have deep faith in the ‘muni’.

This is for the first time that illegal constructions were being demolished out of fear of the deity and not of the government.

A two-storied building constructed by the local mahila mandal in the village has been identified as illegal by the oracle and will also be demolished. The mahila mandal had reportedly offered the building for the temple management committee to use it as a serai. But the deity, which is believed to be speaking through the oracle, has refused to accept it.

“Kar sevaks” are working day and night to pull down the illegal structures. They are being offered food from the langar which has been set up by the temple management.

Reports said a nearly 100-year-old serai, which served as a transit camp in the past for the travellers from far-off places like Ladakh and Lahaul and Spiti, was demolished this morning. The temple priest used to reside in this building.

The three shops demolished today were constructed by temple committee to generate resources for maintaining the ancient temple which has remained in a state of neglect.

The process of identifying the illegal structures by the oracle started recently when the deities of the surrounding areas were believed to have “taken objection” to the construction of a concrete structure over the spring which is known as “devta ki baoli”. Thereafter, there was fear among the residents of the village and they volunteered to pull down the buildings on the encroached area.