Over 1,000 invitees to discuss setting free temples from govt. control at State-level conference starting Saturday

HJS and Karnataka Temple-Mutt and Religious Institutions Federation to host State-level temple conference in Bengaluru on Dec 16-17. Over 1,000 invitees, incl. trustees, priests, delegates, religious thinkers and pro-Hindu advocates, to discuss protection of temples, freeing them from govt control, providing basic amenities to devotees and protecting temple tradition. Jalgaon Mandir Nyas Parishad instrumental in implementing dress code in 262 temples. Convention to discuss making temples centres of Sanatan Dharma, stopping demolition of temples, land grabbing of temple land, ban of liquor and non-veg. hotels around temples and restoring neglected temples.

In a bid to unite and bring temple trustees, priests and devotees on a common platform to deliberate upon on issues concerning protection of temples and their sanctity and freeing them from government control and related issues, a State-level conference of temples will be held in Bengaluru on December 16 and 17.

Addressing presspersons in Hubballi on Wednesday, coordinator of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) Ashok Bhoj said that over 1,000 invitees, including trustees, priests, delegates, religious thinkers and pro-Hindu advocates, will be participating in the temple conference.

The conference to be held at Gangamma Thimmaiah Convention Hall at Basaveshwar Nagar in Bengaluru is being jointly organised by Hindu Janajagruti Samiti and Karnataka Temple-Mutt and Religious Institutions Federation.

As temples are the pillars of Hindu religion, protecting their sanctity is the responsibility of Hindu society. Along with it, freeing temples from government control, performing various pujas and rituals as per scriptures, resolving issues concerning ancient temples, providing basic amenities to devotees and also protecting temple tradition have become far important nowadays, Mr. Bhoj said.

Vidula Haldipur of HJS said that there is a need for developing temples as centres for propagation of Sanatan Dharma. In a bid to project themselves as being modern, ancient religious traditions are being looked down up. It has made it even more important now to provide proper Dharma Sanskar to all, especially the younger generation.

This apart, there is also a need for enforcing proper dress code for temples which has already been implemented in hundreds fo temples across Maharashtra, Vidula Haldipur said.

Mr. Bhoj said that Mandir Nyas Parishad of Jalgaon in Maharashtra was established in February last and within four months, it extended its activities to Goa and Karnataka. The Mandir Nyas Parishad has been instrumental in implementing the dress code in 262 temples, he said.