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VHP for entry of reconverts into Puri temple

Bibhuti Mishra in Bhubaneshwar

The issue of entry of reconverted Hindus into the Lord Jagannath temple has taken a new turn with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad declaring that there cannot be any such ban.

The temple in Puri is open only to Hindus and after the recent reconversion of tribal Christians at Manoharpur to Hinduism, the issue was raised as to whether the reconverted can enter it.

Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of Puri who presided over the reconversion ceremony at Manoharpur, had said that the issue was left to the Mukti Mandap Pandit Sabha, the highest decision-making body of the Puri temple. He had also suggested building Swastik temples for worship for the reconverted.

The Puri temple administration had also said that any decision could only be taken in consultation with the sabha. Pundit Brahmins of the sabha were, however against allowing the reconverted, as they felt that they were not on par with those born as Hindus, and besides tribals eating beef are not permitted in.

Thus, Hindus in Puri accepted a ban on the entry of the reconverted.

But the vice-president of the VHP dropped a bombshell in Puri yesterday, daring anyone to ban their entry.

He told a two-day sant sammelan, in which Hindu saints from all over the country are participating, "Hindus have stayed in their own country as second-class citizens. Now that the saints have got together, a renaissance of Hinduism is on the cards. Tribals who had been converted under temptation or duress to Christianity are getting reconverted and full Hindu status will be assigned to them. Nobody can ban their entry into the Puri temple."

With Lord Jagannath away on the rath yatra, neither the temple administration nor the sabha wants to officially comment. However, many priests and monastery heads have welcomed the VHP stand, as they feel the reconversion drive would otherwise take a beating.

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