PAKISTAN, December 3, 2017 (Pakistan Today): Authorities are working on a comprehensive plan to restore religious sanctity and archaeological value of Katas Raj Temple near Chakwal. Evacuee Trust Property Board Chairman Siddiqul Farooq said this while talking to APP here on Sunday. He said that the plan was part of efforts of the government to work for minorities and provide them maximum facilities as an equal citizen of the country. ”Katas Raj is a confluence of four civilisations. There are 3,000 years old Hindu temples, a stupa of Buddhism, a havali of Hari Singh Nalva, a Sikh general of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh and two mosques, situated close to each other,” the chairman added.
He said that Katas Raj was very much important and sacred place for Hindus all over the world. ”We have divided our work on Katas Raj in two parts, first was for the functional temple, where people go for worship. ”We have renovated it on modern lines and that part has been completed. In the second part, we are working on religious plus archaeological attractions of Katas Raj,” he added. He said that Amr Kund (sacred water), which was obtained from a well there, which was closed for several hundred years due to landslides or earthquakes etc, has been restored. Two sacred caves, which had been used as meditation in ancient times, have been discovered, developed and opened for the Hindu Yatris and other visitors.
AMARAVATI, INDIA, DECEMBER 7, 2017 (Times of India): In a sharp departure from tradition, the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) is ready with its first batch of non-Brahmin priests. The priests, mainly belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe are expected to be given posts soon. TTD is going to construct around 500 temples in SC, ST and fishermen colonies along with the Endowments department.
About 200 people from Dalit and backward communities have undergone rigorous training for three months as part of a pilot project by the TTD management. ”The management is going to appoint SC, ST priests in temples governed by it very soon,” TTD executive officer Anil Singhal said. Singhal said this is the first time when members from downtrodden sections of the society are being given a chance in the recruitment process for world’s richest temple.
”The demand for reservation for Dalits for the priesthood has been persisting for several decades. Previous attempts to meet the demand have faced stiff resistance from certain quarters. But now we have made it a reality,” Singhal said during a press conference at Delhi.
The programme, which was taken up by the TTD’s Sri Venkateswara Employees’ Training Academy (SVETA) was launched two years ago but discontinued later.
Chanakya Niti
He who befriends a man whose conduct is vicious, whose vision impure, and who is notoriously crooked, is rapidly ruined.
— Chanakya (350-275 bce), Indian politician, strategist and writer
