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Assam claims 6th Jyotirlinga in ad; 'Stealing gods too': Maharashtra opposition
Assam government advertisement claimed the 6th Jyotirlinga of India is in Assam to which Maharashtra opposition leaders strongly objected and denounced the attempt to steal religious sites from Maharashtra.
An advertisement of the Assam government's tourism department is at the centre of a brewing controversy as the ad claims Assam's Kamrup is the site of India's 6th Jyotirlinga. With a photo of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the advertisement invites devotees to Dakini Hill on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri on February 18. The advertisement detailing the glory of the 6th Jyotirlinga irked the opposition in Maharashtra who said after industry, now Maharashtra's cultural and spiritual heritage was also being stolen.
"Have the BJP leaders decided not to keep anything for Maharashtra's share? Earlier Maharashtra's share of industry and employment was stolen and now our cultural and spiritual heritage is about to be stolen....!" NCP leader Supriya Sule said adding that Bhimshankar which the advertisement claimed to be in Kamrup is in the Pune district of Maharashtra.
"Bhimashankar district of Maharashtra is the sixth Jyotirlinga among the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. Pune is known as Jyotirlinga. Situated in a very scenic area, this temple is a place of worship for countless devotees. But the state of Assam ruled by the BJP has started promoting the Shivlinga at Pamohi near Guwahati as the sixth Jyotirlinga. This is a very mischievous and untrue spread," Supriya Sule tweeted. Citing Shrimad Adya Shankaracharya from his Brihad Ratnakara Stotra, the MP said it is known that Bhimashankar Jyotirlinga is the source of river Bhima and the forest of Dakini. And Bhimashankar in the Pune district of Maharashtra is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga temples, nothing else, Sule said. "What else needs testimony now?" the MP added.
Congress leader Sachin Sawant said chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis should immediately clarify its stance over the Assam government ad. "BJP has hurt the faith and sentiments of not only 12 crore people of Maharashtra but also of all Indians. BJP's view of Maharashtra is constantly being seen," Sachin Sawant tweeted.
There are many Jyotirlingas (emergence of Lord Shiva) in the country. Out of them, 12 are the most famous. Dakini's Bhimshankar is indeed the 6th Jyotirlinga but it is in Maharashtra. Other jyotirlingas of Maharashtra are Tryambakeshwara, Parali Vajinath, Grishneswar and Aundh Nagnath.
The advertisement in question also has a map to guide the devotees to the Bhimshankar Jyotirlinga in Pamohi, Guwahati, as claimed in the advertisement.
While Maharashtra opposition earlier claimed that several industrial projects were stolen from Maharashtra after the new dispensation (Shinde Sena and the BJP) came to power, the new dispensation came to being in Assam, where Himanta Biswa Sarma facilitated the stay of the rebel Sena leaders last year who later toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
