HVK Archives: Hindus denied puja at Dattatreya Peetha - Part I
Hindus denied puja at Dattatreya Peetha - Part I - Organiser
Venugopalan
()
December 20, 1998
Title: Hindus denied puja at Dattatreya Peetha - Part I
Author: Venugopalan
Publication: Organiser
Date: December 20, 1998
A planned, well orchestrated attempt was made to create tension
and disturb communal harmony throughout the country when the
dispute about Dattatreya Peetha-Baba Budangiri shrine near
Chickmagalur in Karnataka was blown up by spreading the canard
that Hindus led by Bajrang Dal were preparing to enact another
Ayodhya there.
The rathyatra by Bajrang Dal for the restoration of traditional
Hindu rites and practices followed in the shrine prior to 1975
was dubbed as a movement for the take over of the shrine
considered sacred by both Muslims and Hindus. The Bajrang Dal or
VHP or any other Hindu organisation had no intention of taking
over the shrine. But it was alleged by vested interests that the
Hindus led by Bajrang Dal were planning to take over even by
force whereas the rathyatra was a protest against the Muslim
manager of the property, who is bent upon changing the character
of the shrine by the exclusion of Hindus and denial to them of
the traditional rites which used to be performed prior to 1975.
Part of the shrine is also being converted into a graveyard. The
Hindus detest it. They want that their right to do puja/Archana
should be restored and the Padukas and Nandadeepa of Bhagwan
Dattatreya that have been removed from the shrine should be
restored. The Hindus have never tried to take over the shrine.
The rathyatra was taken out on the occasion of Dattatreya
Jayanti, last year too, but no din was raised over it.
The criticism of the rathyatra this year was thus politically
motivated. It might have to do something with the approaching
elections in Karnataka. The Janata Dal is trying to create Hindu-
Muslim tension in order to impress the minority community. But
for the timely intervention of Home Minister L.K. Advani who
declared in Parliament that the shrine was a symbol of Hindu-
Muslim harmony, things could have got out of hand as malicious
campaign of blaming the Hindus had been launched alleging that
the rathyatra was being taken out "to liberate" the shrine!
Declares Bajrang Dal leader Shri Prakash Sharma, "We have never
said that we would liberate the shrine. We had only asked for
permission for worship to Hindus and the restoration of the
Padukas of Dattatreya, Trishul, Kamandal, Rudraksha which had
been removed from the shrine some years ago. We also demanded
installation of the idol of Bhagwan Dattatreya."
These demands were made, according to Shri Sharma, because the
traditional practice of Hindu puja in the shrine was being
stopped completely by one Sakhadari who is incharge of the
shrine. "Bhagwan Dattatreya Peetha (the Baba Budangiri shrine
is also known by that name) was being converted by him into a
graveyard. In the last ten years, half a dozen graves have come
up in the shrine on the site where the four disciples of Bhagwan
Dattatreya were believed to have recited the Vedas."
Shri Sharma also objected to the comparison of the agitation for
the shrine to that of Ayodhya. He said that "We have never
objected to Muslims' entry or worship there. But our demand is
based on historical background and court orders which have not
been implemented properly. The Court had ordered restoration of
practices as per the tradition prior to 1975."
As stated earlier the Baba Budangiri dargah is also known as
Guru Dattatreya Peetha.
It is situated in a natural cave of laterite stone on the hill-
top about 30 kms from Chickmagalur. In Bhagavatha Purana,
Ramayana and Mahabharatha there are references to this hill as
Chandradrona Parvatha. These hills have of late come to be
called Baba Budangiri Hills.
This place of Dattatreya Peetha is believed to have been
sanctified by the penance of Shri Attri Maharshi, Anusooyadevi
and Shri Dattatreya Murd. There are also inscriptions recording
the worship of Shri Dattatreya by Keladi Rani Chennamma and
Veera Ballala of Bakheraya Pattana.
Erstwhile rulers of Mysore had built a palace there and
regularly visited and offered prayers to Shri Dattatreya.
Sri Sringeri Math and Sri Rambhapuri Math hae had a long
relationship with this temple.
There are also references to the puja conducted by Hindu
devotees inside the Garbhagruha in 1950.
It is said that a few decades ago, one Shri Dada Hayath Meer
Khalander was attracted by the serenity of the place and stayed
on there looking after the maintenance of the place. Later he
came to be called Baba Budan. It is said that he relinquished
this place in his last days and settled at Thiruchirapalli in
Tamilnadu and that a tomb in his memory exists there.
In 1960, by a Government order, the management of the Peetha was
transferred from Muzrai Department to Waqf Board. But the order
could riot be implemented due to the opposition of Hindus. In
the meantime, an arch at the Garbhagruha was converted into a
platform.
The daily puja to the Padukas of Dattatreya and Nanda Deepa was
prevented in 1964. Shri B.S. Nagaraja Rao and Shri C.
Chandrashekhar filed a representative suit on behalf of the
aggrieved devotees before the District Court of Chickmagalur as
per case No O.S. 25/78. Recognising the claim of Hindus that
there are Padukas and Nandadeepa protected and maintained since
ancient times and that it is also known as Guru Dattatreya
Peetha. The learned Judge, in his Judgement upheld the rights of
Hindus to do worship there.
However, in 1975-76, during the internal emergency, the Padukas,
silver lamps, spear and Trishul disappeared. Noticing the
disappearance, Hindus approached the Courts for recovery and
restoration of the same at the Peetha.
This Peetha is listed in the Muzrai Manual as an institution
related to Muzrai Department and the Karnataka Religious and
Charitable Endowment Board has no right to transfer it to Waqf
Board.
Courts have also ruled that this shrine is to be managed by
Hindu Religious Endowments Board of Government of Karnataka.
The Commissioner of Religious and Charitable Endowment of
Karnataka in his order no. Adm. 7. PTN 9/84-85 dated 25.2.89
directed the Deputy Commissioner Chickmagalur to conduct a local
enquiry about the practices prevailing before June 1975. The
report of the said officer confirmed the pujas by Hindus prior
to 1975.
The route to the shrine has plenty of milestones marked as
Peetha with the distances and a direction stone erected by the
PWD Department carries the inscription as "Dattatreya Peetha".
For the last 15 years Hindus have been fighting for restoration
of their rights for Puja and various items connected with the
temple that have disappeared over the years.
To awaken the Hindus in this connection a Rath Yatra was taken
out in 1997. This year, in addition to the Rath Yatra in
Chickamagalur, Rathas also came from four Datta Kshetras, namely
Ganagapur, Narasobawadi, Melkote and Kurugadde of Raichur,
carrying Datta Padukas, photos etc.
The yatras covered a distance of over 1200 kms. Over 700
meetings were addressed to inform the devotees about the
condition of the shrine at Chandradrona Parvatha.
Puja was conducted for three days from 1st to 3rd December,
1998. Over 15000 persons, including a big number of women and
children, participated with enthusiasm. A Datta homa was also
performed.
Inspite of Section 144 clamped in the area and fear psychosis
generated by the police and RAF, Dharma Sabha was held in
Chickamagalur town after a kilometre long procession on 2nd
December followed by another one near the shrine on 3 rd 1998.
In the meeting at the Shrine the following demands were made :
A Hindu pujari should be appointed immediately and no obstacles
should be there for the devotees. The practice of burying dead
bodies should be stopped forthwith and those buried there be
removed immediately. The items disappeared are to be restored
immediately.
The practice of killing cows are to be stopped forthwith.
Accounts for the past two decades at least to be got audited and
placed before the public.
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