LALITPUR, JULY 8
Madhesi Commission's Chair Bijay Kumar Dutta has given assurance that efforts would be undertaken to conserve the Janakpur-based historic Ramjanaki temple.
Address a programme organised by the Hindu Council Nepal and Mithila Culture Society Nepal here today, he said his attention had been drawn to theft incident at Janaki temple.
Chair Dutta said he would inquire about the progress in regard to the investigation into the matter with the bodies concerned.
Stating that he had heard of the temple having its own land and other means of income as well, but still its condition is poor, he said the cooperation would be sought from the Department of Archaeology, Guthi Sanstha and bodies concerned to know about the real situation of the ancient heritage.
Commission Secretary Anjan Mishra said the placing of an information board in the temple area was necessary for the convenience of visitors. Department Officer Manju Singh Bhandari said the temple featured a unique architecture. Mishra urged one and all to contribute to the preservation and promotion of the temple.
Central President of Hindu Council Nepal Santosh Patel said Ramjanaki temple of Mithila was not included in the list of world heritage sites due to the weakness on the part of Department and the Guthi Sansthan.
"If the department and the commission still do not think about conservation of Ramjanaki temple, the condition of this important heritage will deteriorate further," he said.
Council Nepal's advisor Sabari Shah said that the condition of Janaki temple had been deteriorating day by day after the 2015 Gorkha earthquakes and it was necessary to hold extensive discussions among the bodies concerned for the conservation of the temple.
The commission has, through a press release today, stated that valuable ornaments worth billions of rupees were stolen from the temple. Similarly, it said ancient artistic golden pinnacles used in the dome and spires were also missing while the diamond-studded eyes of a pair of artistic stone lion sculptures placed over the northern gate of the temple were stolen.
It mentions that valuable articles like gaulochan, gajamani and syalko singh, which were said to be in the temple, have not been archived yet.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 9, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
