Supreme Court Rejects Plea to Restore Khajuraho’s Jawari Temple Idol
New Delhi | Desk: The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition seeking restoration of a seven-foot-tall damaged idol of Lord Vishnu at Khajuraho’s Jawari (Vaman) Temple. The matter was heard on Tuesday by Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai. The petitioner had claimed that the idol was desecrated during Mughal invasions and has remained in its damaged state ever since.
The plea sought the Court’s intervention to safeguard devotees’ right to worship and to revive the sanctity of the temple. However, the Court ruled that the idol would remain in its current condition, adding that devotees wishing to perform worship could do so at other temples.
Petitioner Rakesh Dalal expressed disappointment, calling the decision an affront to his religious sentiments. He had filed the public interest litigation (PIL) on 13 June, demanding replacement of the broken idol with a new one. Dalal noted that he had earlier staged a protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar and submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the issue.
The idol of Lord Vishnu, enshrined in the sanctum of the Jawari Temple, is missing its head. Several social organizations and local residents have long demanded its restoration, though the Court’s latest ruling has closed the matter.
