While addressing the Kardar Sangh at Sanskriti Sadan in Mandi today, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur announced that the State Government would sympathetically consider transfer of forest and government land where temple has been constructed on such land in the name of temple. Chief Minister said that Mandi town was in real sense the land of deities, Gods and Goddesses and was known as Chhoti Kashi. He said that each and every village in entire Mandi district has its own deity and its own temple. He said that hundreds of deities participate in International Mandi Shivratri alongwith their Devlu (followers), but it is felt that there is no proper place for stay of these followers.
He said that this Sanskriti Sadan was constructed to meet out this requirement on the analogy of Dev Sadan at Kullu, where International Dussehra festival is celebrated every year. Jai Ram Thakur said that the people of the State have immense faith in the deities. He urged the Dev Samaj to come forward to tackle the problem of drug abuse. He said that initiatives must be made to motivate the youth to stay away from this social vice. He suggested that the Bajantris must organize a collective event Dev Dhun during the Shivratri festival. He also urged the Dev Samaj to involve them in cleanliness drive. He said that temple committees should also come forward in other social activities such as running cow sanctuaries and Gau sadans in the State.
He also wrote down his comments on the Visitor’s Book of the Sanskriti Sadan. President, Sarv Devta Sewa Samiti Shiv Pal Sharma while welcoming the Chief Minister thanked him for increasing honorarium Bajantris by 100 percent and Nazarana of the deities by 33 per cent. He also thanked the Chief Minister for dedicating Sanskriti Sadan. He said that the Government lands where temples of deities have been constructed since long must be transferred in the name of the deities. MLA’s Vinod Kumar, Jawahar Thakur and Inder Singh Gandhi, General Secretary Child Welfare Council Payal Vaidya, Chairman Milkfed Nihal Chand Sharma, Deputy Commissioner Arindam Chaudhary, SP Mandi Shalini Agnihotri were present on the occasion among others.
