Varanasi: At least 10 ‘Nihshulk Shastris’ (Imam is engaged to facilitate worshipers into the temple after buying tickets) has been banned from doing rituals in the Kashi Vishwanath temple.
In addition, their identity card was canceled by the administration of the temple with bad charges with worshipers and extorting money.
Explanation has also been sought from several priests like that on different problems.
“A number of complaints have been received against several priests engaged in KVT to facilitate worshipers who are looking for entry after buying tickets, especially Sugam Darshan to avoid spending time in the queue.
Allegedly that after taking worshipers in the temple, the priests used to force them to do rituals To flush money from them, “said Commissioner Divisional Deepak Agrawal while talking to TOI on Thursday.
“When complaints increased, evidence was collected in which 10 shastris was found involved in malpractice, after that the actions of their restrictions from doing rituals began on Wednesday,” he added, “the identity card spent on the priests has also been canceled.” According to the temple authority, the priests in the Nihshulk Shastri category were involved by the temple assistance table to facilitate worshipers into the temple after buying tickets.
Against Payment of RS 300 for Sugam Darshan tickets, each priest sent to facilitate the concerned worship paid RS 30, they said they added that in Shrawan 2019, a large number of priests in this category only received Rs 1 lakh only by receiving the original amount paid on them on every ticket.
With the early construction work of the Kashi Vishwanath Dham project (corridor), the CCTV network was installed inside and around the KVT was disrupted.
Officials said that using it, several priests in the Nihshulk Shastri category began to pamper themselves in malpractices.
The Commissioner said that two Shastris and assistant public relations officers were also issued notification of performances for their behavior.
He said that the Archaks meeting (ordinary priests) and employees were held on Wednesdays where clarified that they distorted the image of the holy temple would not be permitted to contribute to the temple work.
Officials also praised Archaks and employees who performed extraordinary during the month of Shrawan despite the opportunities faced by ongoing construction work.