On January 22, while the Ram temple in Ayodhya was being inaugurated, members of the little-known Hindu group Rashtriya Anhad Mahayog Peeth breached security and stormed the ASI-protected Martand Temple in Anantnag, South Kashmir, according to a report by Awaaz South Asia.
Despite local ASI staff’s efforts to stop them, the group from Rajasthan, unfurled a saffron flag, performed a parikrama (Hindu prayers) and chanted the Hanuman Chalisa before leaving.
This is the third consecutive year of their attempts to hold prayers at the 8th-century temple.
The group, led by Maharaj Rudranath Mahakal, justified their actions by aligning their visit with the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on the same day.
Rudranath stated, “Prime Minister Modi had said that all temples should hold prayers and mark the occasion like Deepavali, which is what we wanted to do in all the temples of Kashmir.”
The ASI guidelines and central government regulations strictly prohibit prayers at historic sites under protection unless they were active places of worship when taken over by the archaeological body.
After holding prayers in a nearby Shiv temple, the group proceeded to Martand, determined to enter and conduct their rituals, the report said.
“Despite the defiance, they were not allowed to sit or stay within the temple premises and had to leave after the circumambulation.”
