Latest news with #Muzrai
New Indian Express
12-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Temple priests urge Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to approve muzrai reforms
BENGALURU: Pointing to years of neglect and delay, the Federation of Akhila Karnataka Hindu Temple Archakas, Agamikas and Upadhivanths has urged Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot to approve the crucial amendments to the Muzrai Act which has already been passed by both houses of the Karnataka legislature. It said once cleared, the law would allow richer A and B category temples to share their surplus income with underfunded category C temples in villages, which has been a demand for over ten years. At a press conference on Sunday, the federation also raised alarm over large-scale encroachments of temple land, poor living conditions of priests and the need for monthly support to small temples. They have requested the government to take up a joint survey of these historic temples through the departments of archaeology and Muzrai and sought a budget of Rs 500 crore for their development and conservation. A delegation, led by federation president Prof KE Radhakrishna and general secretary KSN Dixit, met the governor at Raj Bhavan on Friday and submitted a petition highlighting that more than 36,000 temples under the Muzrai department, especially in rural areas, lack funding and state support. Many of these rural temples are more than 300 years old and are deeply tied to the cultural and religious life of local communities. However, most lack even basic facilities, Radhakrishna said.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
35,000 temples chant for soldiers: Special pujas, homas in Bengaluru as citizens pray for India's armed forces
BENGALURU: Temples in the state's capital reverberated with sacred chants, homas, and special pujas as citizens, spiritual leaders and politicians offered prayers for safety and strength of the country's armed forces. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In the wake of , the muzrai department had issued a directive to nearly 35,000 temples under its jurisdiction across the state to perform special rituals dedicated to armed personnel deployed on the border — a tribute to their courage and recognition of their sacrifice. Responding to the call, temples across Bengaluru organised ceremonies invoking divine protection for armed personnel. At the historic Gavi Gangadeshwara Temple in Basavanagudi, a two-hour Durga homa was conducted. Somasundar Dixit, the temple's head priest, said: 'We chanted mantras in the name of India. We prayed for the protection and victory of our soldiers and the well-being of every citizen. This tradition of invoking divine protection before and after wars we fought in the past has long been part of our culture. We are proud of our army and hopeful that peace will prevail. ' Banashankari Temple, one of Bengaluru's most prominent places of worship in South Bengaluru, held special abhishekas and aarthis. 'We offered special prayers for the success of all future missions which our country embarks on,' said temple authorities. BJP state president BY Vijayendra and other members of the opposition party, visited Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in Malleswaram and offered special prayers for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They said they prayed that he would have the strength to handle the situation. At Kaadu Malleshwara Temple in Malleswaram, special 'rudra parayana' and homa were performed which continued well into the afternoon. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Devotees gathered, praying for peace. The Karanji Anjaneya Swamy Temple in Basavanagudi also joined in, holding prayers specifically for the health and safety of soldiers guarding the country's borders. 'Gesture of respect' Muzrai minister Ramalinga Reddy told TOI: 'These pujas were dedicated to everyone working on the board to ensure we are protected and safe. This was a gesture of respect for our armed personnel who are doing so much for us. As per directions, pujas were performed in all 35,000odd temples which fall under the muzrai department.'
India Gazette
08-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra leads special puja for armed forces' fight against terrorism
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 8 (ANI): Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra on Thursday on Thursday led a special puja for the Indian Armed forces, conducted by BJP leaders at the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple . Speaking about the prayer, Vijayendra said, 'Today, the BJP leaders have offered special puja at Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple. We prayed to God for the strength of the Indian Armed Forces in the fight against terrorism. We prayed to God for the elimination of terrorism from all parts of the world.' The puja was held to seek divine blessings for the armed forces and to support the ongoing efforts to combat terrorism globally. Following the success of 'Operation Sindoor' of the Indian Armed Forces the Karnataka government on Thursday issued orders directing Muzrai temples across the State to conduct special prayers to seek seek blessings for the soldiers. As part of this initiative, prayers were offered this morning at the renowned Nimishambha temple in Srirangapatna, Mandya district, one of Karnataka's most prominent temples. The priests at the temple conducted the first worship dedicated to the soldiers, making a solemn resolution for their safety and protection. Prayers were also held at the historic Gavi Gangadhareshwara temple in Bengaluru. Apart from this, prayers were held at Mumbai's Siddhivinayak temple and Acharya Pawan Tripathi, Treasurer of Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple trust offered special prayers on the success of Operation Sindoor. Meanwhile, satellite imagery released by Maxar Technologies and accessed by Reuters, has provided stark visual evidence of the destroyed terror infrastructure in Pakistan's Bahawalpur and Muridke caused by India's precision missile strikes, carried out under 'Operation Sindoor' in the early hours of Wednesday. The strikes, targeting key strongholds of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), were launched in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists. Before-and-after satellite images of the Jamia Masjid Subhan Allah in Bahawalpur, the operational headquarters of JeM, show significant hosts the Markaz Subhan Allah, operational since 2015, the main centre of Jaish-e-Mohammad for training and indoctrination and serves as operational headquarter of JeM. It is associated with terrorist plannings by JeM including Pulwama attack on Feb 14, 2019. The Markaz consists of residences of JeM Chief Maulana Masood Azhar, de-facto Chief of JeM Mufti Abdul Rauf Asghar, Maulana Ammar and other family members of Masood Azhar has made several addresses from this facility extolling anti - India rhetoric and appealing to youth to join Islamic Jihad. JeM conducts regular arms, physical and religious training for its cadres at Markaz Subhan visuals obtained by Reuters show the terror infrastructure in Bahawalpur completely destroyed following the missile strikes carried out by the Indian Armed Forces under 'Operation Sindoor' on Wednesday. (ANI)
Hans India
26-04-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Blueprint for Cauvery aarti will be ready in a week: Dy CM
Mandya: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday said a blueprint for the Cauvery aarti programme would be ready within a week, with plans to start it this Dasara. Addressing a press conference after a meeting with elected representatives and officials on the Cauvery aarti, he said, 'We have formed a committee, led by Minister Chaluvaraya Swamy, to work out the modalities. This committee will prepare the blueprint in the next 8-10 days. We've discussed the broad contours of the aarti with our leaders and officials.' 'The committee includes members from Chescom, the Tourism department, the Muzrai department, two DCs, two local MLAs, MLCs, Zilla Panchayat CEOs, and BWSSB members. Irrigation Department officials will create the necessary infrastructure,' he added. Cauvery Aarti (Puja) is part of the Karnataka government's efforts to promote water conservation. The dates have not been announced yet. The state government has decided to allocate Rs 92 crore for the Cauvery aarti, with contributions from other departments as well. 'We are creating seating for about 10,000 people. The committee will decide how many days the aarti will be held. Different departments have submitted reports on their respective activities, and we'll incorporate them into the final plan,' he said. The government has already called for tenders to upgrade Brindavan Gardens at the KRS (Krishna Raja Sagara Dam). 'We've also decided to form a Planning Authority with four panchayats. This won't affect their functioning; the authority will only focus on planning and ensure that the proceeds from the project benefit these panchayats,' he added. Shivakumar said that seven firms have come forward to develop Brindavan Gardens, and discussions are underway. 'We've made it a condition for bidders to prioritise local employment,' he said. Responding to a question about when the Cauvery aarti programme would be launched, he said, 'I'm keen to launch it this Dasara, and we've formed a committee to prepare the blueprint. Let's see how fast the committee submits its plans.' Asked about the location for the aarti, he said, 'We've inspected potential sites and consulted the technical committee. The location must be close to water, with sufficient space for parking, seating, and accommodations for artists. Boating will also be included. The committee will decide.' When asked if there would be entry tickets for the event, he said, 'There will be both paid and free entry options. We can't deny entry to poor people, and there will be an option for the public to offer prayers.' On allegations that the aarti could harm the KRS dam, he said, 'We will discuss this with the organisations opposing it. They may have doubts, and we'll address them.' Regarding concerns over encroachment and pollution of the Cauvery River, he said, 'All dams have been surveyed using drones and marked for maximum levels. The department has been instructed to audit the assets.'
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Centre should modify exam dress code to protect religious freedom: Karnataka minister
Bengaluru: Muzrai minister Ramalinga Reddy has asked higher education minister MC Sudhakar to write to the Centre to modify the dress code various central agencies have fixed for competitive exams , allowing protection of religious freedom . Following recent incidents where students were not allowed to wear janivara (sacred thread) for Common Entrance Test, Reddy said BJP is trying to project the state govt as anti-Hindu. "Removing janivara, mangalsutra or hijab is an act that violates a person's religious belief, which cannot be tolerated. The dress code rules made by examination authorities of the central govt are applicable all over India. Dress code in competitive exams is good for maintaining sanctity in NEET and CET, but there needs to be some modification in central govt exam guidelines to allow religious freedom to be preserved/protected," he wrote in his letter to Sudhakar. Citing Supreme Court's observation that "maintaining purity in examination is paramount, but freedom of religion should not be neglected", Reddy asked Sudhakar to get his department write to the Centre to make necessary changes in the dress code policy of examination guidelines.
