the goan I network
PONDA
A court has modified its order passed on November 30, thereby allowing villagers to use the articles from the temple for the two-day jatra celebration at Navadurga temple in Marcaim, which began on Saturday night.
It may be recalled that ahead of the jatra, the Mahajans (temple management) had gone to court accusing members of Devi Navadurga Pratishtan (villagers) of taking articles from temple and shifting them from one place to another.
After hearing the matter Bela Naik, district judge 2-Panaji and stationed at Ponda, had passed an interim order on November 30, appointing and directing the Bailiff of the Court to make an inventory of all articles allegedly shifted out and other allied materials which have been taken out and damaged.
The judge also directed that the articles be kept in safe and proper custody by storing them at the customary premises till the application for temporary injunction is decided.
On Saturday, members of Devi Navadurga Pratishtan moved an application in the court seeking to modify its order, as it would have had created obstacles before the jatra celebration.
They brought to the notice of court that the articles, which were ordered to be taken into custody, were required for the celebration.
“It is brought to the notice of this court that all articles are required to celebrate the jatra festival smoothly, without which the religious function will not take place,” stated the order passed on Saturday.
“It is noted that this (importance of articles) submission was not made before this court by any of the parties. Therefore, this fact was not known to the court that all the articles were required since the main jatra is on December 1 and 2.”
“Therefore, taking into consideration the urgent requirement of these articles to complete and celebrate the festival...and taking into consideration the fact that law and order situation will arise, the order dated November 30 needs to be modified,” the judge stated.
Sources informed that after the court passed its order on November 30, senior police and revenue officials in Ponda took part in a three-hour meeting to discuss the law and order issue.
The police is believed to have told the officers that the situation could go out of control if villagers were unable to celebrate the jatra on account of seizure of articles.
Speaking to The Goan, Shailendra Panajikar of Devi Navadurga Pratishthan said devotees from across Goa attend the jatra and hence, the celebration cannot be stopped.
“Without those articles, the jatra cannot take place. Hence, we brought this to the notice of the court and it respected our plea,” Panajikar said.
The next hearing in the case will take place on December 6.
Meanwhile, a heavy police force has been deployed in the temple precincts and village, anticipating a law and order problems in the area.
