Team Herald
PONDA: The Additional District and Sessions Court at Ponda has prohibited the Navdurga Temple Committee from replacing the old Navdurga idol with a new one until the case is disposed of. The court has also given relief to the temple committee by restraining the villagers from interfering in the religious and administrative works of the Mahajans. The next hearing has been scheduled for May 7.
Meanwhile, after the court directed the temple committee not to replace the idol, Marcaim villagers celebrated by holding a rally and beating drums in their village and surrounding areas. Addressing the press, Adv Amrut Kansar said that this was an interim order on the villagers’ prayer to restrain the temple committee from replacing the idol during the hearing.
It may be recalled that, the temple committee had decided to replace the old, “cracked” idol with a new one, but the residents opposed the decision, stating that they had been worshipping the idol for many centuries.
The villagers later filed a petition in the Ponda District Court, which stayed the replacement of the idol. The temple committee then approached the High Court, which vacated the stay of the lower court and directed the latter to hear and dispose of the case within a month. The District Court completed the hearing, and on Wednesday, again stayed the idol replacement.
