A SENIOR official has denied reports in a section of the media that there is a ban on entry of half-pant-clad persons into the Kashi Vishwanath Temple for ‘darshan’ of Lord Shiva.
“There is absolutely no truth to the reports that devotees who come in half-pants are being denied entry into the temple for darshan,” additional superintendent of police, Kashi Vishwanath Temple-Gyanvapi complex, JK Tiwari told Hindustan Times on Tuesday.
He said it was normal for a large number of half-pant-clad Kanwarias to pay obeisance to Lord Shiva during the Hindu month of `Savan’, which ended over a month ago.
“The issue has never figured officially. Nor has anybody complained about it,” he said.
He said the issue was unnecessarily being raised when there was no official ban on the entry of devotees wearing half- pants.
“I casually discussed the issue with an organisation, which takes care of Kanwarias. The oufit felicitated me two months ago,” Tiwari said.
“There is no question of a ban on half-pant clad kanwarias inside the temple,” said social worker Shanti Lal Jain, who is also patron of the Kashi Vishwanath Bhakti Sewa Samiti, which honoured ASP JK Tiwari.
{{/usCountry}}“There is no question of a ban on half-pant clad kanwarias inside the temple,” said social worker Shanti Lal Jain, who is also patron of the Kashi Vishwanath Bhakti Sewa Samiti, which honoured ASP JK Tiwari.
{{/usCountry}}The Kanwarias, he said, came on foot traversing hundreds of kilometers. It was impossible for them to cover such a long distance bare foot and in full pants, he added.
“I do not even remember that the senior police officer looking after the temple security raised this issue in a casual manner during the felicitation function two months ago,” Jain further said.