The Devalaya Committee has written to the district administration and the Chief Minister, requesting a reduction in the number of VIP visits during peak hours
GUWAHATI: The Kamakhya Devalaya has written to the district administration and the Chief Minister, requesting a reduction in the number of VIP visits during peak hours.
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An official wishing anonymity revealed the step to GPlus when queried about protests by devotees allegedly having to wait for hours to get the darshan.
Another source in Kamrup (Metro) district administration talking to GPlus on condition of anonymity said, "There is instructions even from the CMO not to provide VIP passes for Kamakhya darshan," adding that whatever passes are provided are important and for officials who don't have time to be in the queue for the darshan. The official further said that district administration provides 10 to 15 passes for VIP darshan and on some days none. The source further said that the Devalaya committee and the pandas should investigate how many passes are provided by the administration and how many they provide.
On Saturday, January 11, visiting devotees chanted slogans like “Bhrastachar haay haay, VIP darshan bandh karo” while waiting in long queues since morning. The delay in darshan, reportedly due to frequent VIP visits, triggered widespread resentment among devotees who had travelled from various parts of the country.
Speaking about the situation, Ananya Mukherjee, a tourist from Kolkata, said, “We have been waiting for hours, but it seems impossible to get darshan because of all the VIP visitors. This is not right.”
Another devotee from Delhi, added, “Temples should treat everyone equally. We come here with faith, but such discrimination makes it difficult.”
The Devalaya official said, “Since the beginning of the new year, the temple has seen a surge in visitors. Currently, darshan is limited to 3,000 people a day, but due to numerous VIP visits, many devotees are unable to complete darshan despite waiting for hours.”
The Devalaya Committee has written to the district administration and the Chief Minister, requesting a reduction in the number of VIP visits during peak hours. “We are hopeful that this issue will be resolved soon to ensure devotees don’t face such hardships,” the official added.
Kamakhya Temple, one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the region, attracts thousands of devotees daily, especially during festival seasons.