HJS’s campaign to prevent denigration of Mata Gauri’s murtis during Ganeshotsav

Kolhapur: The excitement of Gauri and Ganesh ji’s arrival is palpable. Ganeshotsav is a festival dear to devotees in Maharashtra. Whether it is the murti of Shri Ganesha or the murti of Gauri, the devotees have faith in it and believe that the murtis should be according to the Dharma Shastra. However, the Gauri murtis placed for sale in some shops in the city are not fully clothed, or they are not painted with clothes on. As the devotees look upon the murti of Gauri as a Deity, such murtis are insulting the religious sentiments of the devotees. Hence the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti met traders and shopkeepers and informed them that the murtis of Gauri should be covered with full clothes or they should be painted with sarees on the body to avoid their denigration. The shopkeepers responded positively and assured to vigilant in future, while some even immediately acted upon the suggestions.

The HJS volunteers shared that ‘it is essential to take care that one does not knowingly or unknowingly insult a Deity while preparing Deity murtis. As we are also Hindus, we hope that you will understand the feelings of the devotees and take appropriate action immediately’. Kolhapur District Coordinator of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti Mr Kiran Duse, Mr Sivananda Swami and Mr Ravi Patil were present.