Maoists unlock Pashupatinath temple trust office in Nepal

September 15th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, who Tuesday wound up her two-day Nepal visit with a trip to the revered Pashupatinath temple here, said the Nepal government has reassured her protection for the two newly-appointed Indian priests there. "The government of Nepal has assured me that they have taken all necessary measures to ensure the security and well-being of Indian priests and continuation of regular prayers at the temple," Rao told mediapersons.

September 5th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Smarting under the continuing attacks on Indian priests and the allegation that they were siphoning off the offerings made by devotees at the altar of Pashupatinath, one of the holiest Hindu shrines, the chief priest at the temple said he and his ilk were ready to go back to India. Mahabaleshwar Bairy, the chief priest at the revered fifth century temple and the only person allowed to touch the deity, told the government that if Nepalis did not want Indian priests at the shrine, he and the four other Indian priests appointed there were ready to return home.

September 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Following the attacks on two Indian priests at the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, India said that the incident has caused deep anguish and serious concern in the country. The Government on Saturday said that the matter about the assault on the two newly appointed priests in revered Pashupatinath Temple was immediately taken up with Nepal authorities.

September 5th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepal Cultural Minister Minindra Rijal on Saturday expressed regret at the Maoists attack on two Indian priests at the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu and assured adequate security to them. "This is very sad and most regrettable to attack Indian priests inside the holy temple which is the centre of faith for millions of Hindus across the world," Rijal said.

September 5th, 2009 KATHMNDU - The Nepal Government on Saturday arrested the Maoists leader who led the attacks on Indian priests and provided a personal security officer to the chief priest of the famous Pashupatinath shrine. The Nepalese Government has also deployed an extra-armed platoon of security forces in and around the shrine.

January 21st, 2009 KATHMANDU - A fortnight after they abandoned the battle to control the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu, one of the holiest Hindu shrines in the world, Nepal's Maoist party is once again gearing up to wage a new battle. Defying a ruling by the Supreme Court that has ordered the Maoist government of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda not to tamper with the organisation till it delivers its verdict, the trust that administers the 17th century temple Thursday began a three-day session to discuss the procedure for appointing new priests.

January 6th, 2009 KATHMANDU - After a mounting row for nearly two weeks over Nepal's revered Pashupatinath temple that saw the Maoist government facing condemnation both at home and abroad, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' Wednesday bowed to the pressure. In a pledge before Nepal's interim parliament, the Maoist leader said all controversial decisions made by the trust that governs the 17th century shrine would be withdrawn.

January 6th, 2009 KATHMANDU - Even as Nepal's Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda claimed his former guerrilla party was not seeking to interfere in religious matters, its cadres have taken over the house meant for the bathing rituals of revered Hindu deity Pashupatinath. The Mahasnanguthi, a building at the west gate of the 17th century Pashupatinath temple traditionally used to store accessories for the elaborate bath ritual of the icon, is now controlled by Maoists who allegedly have been using the vantage-point building to collect money from traders and shop keepers.

January 4th, 2009 KATHMANDU - The youth wing of Nepal's main opposition party Monday joined the fray over the ouster of Indian priests at the revered Pashupatinath temple, saying they were ready to cross swords with the Maoists. Mahendra Yadav, chief of Nepal Tarun Dal, the youth wing of former prime minister Girija Prasad Koirala's Nepali Congress party, Monday issued a statement saying his organisation was ready to wage a struggle for faith.

January 3rd, 2009 KATHMANDU - After a week of simmering tension, violence erupted on the hallowed premises of Nepal's Pashupatinath temple Sunday as a mob, alleged to be Maoists, attacked a rally by temple helpers who were protesting the ouster of three Indian priests and the controversial appointment of two Nepalis in their place. Ten people, including Rajbhandaris - Nepalis who have traditionally been assisting priests during worship at the 17th century temple - as well as a cameraman of the state-run Nepal Television station were injured as the attackers began the assault, accusing the protesters of trying to bring back deposed King Gyanendra, who lost his crown in an election this year.

January 3rd, 2009 KATHMANDU - Alarmed by rising anger at home and abroad over the unceremonious removal of three Indian priests from the Pashupatinath temple, a hallowed shrine revered by Hindus, Nepal's Maoist government Sunday said it was launching a three-month nationwide yatra Monday to maintain religious harmony. Maoist Minister for Culture and State Restructuring Gopal Kiranti, who Thursday led a crowd of people to the 17th century temple to install two Nepali priests and triggered a raging controversy, Sunday said he or Maoist Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda - who is also the ex officio patron of the trust governing the temple - would lead the foot march.

January 3rd, 2009 KATHMANDU - As the controversy over the ouster of three Indian priests from Nepal's Pashupatinath temple, one of the holiest shrines of billions of Hindus worldwide, deepened Monday, a fourth Indian priest handed over his resignation while temple authorities engaged two more Nepali priests in violation of a court order. Ganesh Bhatt, one of the two remaining Indian priests at the 17t century temple, quit reportedly fearing for his safety.

January 2nd, 2009 KATHMANDU - Breaking his long silence, Nepal's deposed king Gyanendra Saturday urged the Maoist-led government and others to keep the hallowed Hindu shrine of Pashupatinath out of dispute. The last king of Nepal, who left his crown, sceptre and palace in June following an election that saw the Himalayan kingdom vote overwhelmingly to end the 239-year-old institution of monarchy, Saturday finally came out of his low-profile life as a controversy mired the 17th century Pashupatinath temple, pitting the government against the Supreme Court.

January 2nd, 2009 KATHMANDU - Nepal's ruling Maoist party is blaming 'Hindu fanatics' for the raging controversy over the sacking of three Indian priests at the Pashupatinath temple, one of the holiest Hindu shrines revered by millions of Hindus worldwide. The Maoists are calling it a conspiracy to mar India-Nepal relations.

December 30th, 2008 KATHMANDU - As the row over the sacking of three Indian priests at the temple of Nepal's hallowed Hindu deity Lord Pashupatinath continued to grow, a former temple official warned that the dispute could hurt Nepal's relations with its southern neighbour. Narottam Vaidya, a former official of the trust that administers the 17th century temple, told private television station Kantipur that the unceremonious ouster of three Indian priests who had been brought from south India to conduct the ritualistic worship of the icon was likely to adversely impact the Nepalis employed in India.