Two groups of residents of Homes 121, a residential society in Sector 121, Noida, quarrelled on Sunday over Bhumi Pujan (a Hindu ritual conducted before starting construction work on a piece of land) for a temple. They exchanged heated arguments about relocating a Hanuman temple in the society.
The temple faces towers A and B of the society and is located 50 to 60 metres inside the society towards the left from the main gate. Residents of towers O, P, Q and W allege that residents of towers A and B want to relocate the temple to a green area because they find the sound of temple-bells irritating. Residents of towers O, P, Q and W cited other reasons too, such as security concerns and presence of drainage line below the area proposed for relocating temple.
Residents from towers A and B thronged to gate number 1, which is the main gate of the society, for the ritual. As residents who opposed the move also arrived, tension between them escalated to a point where the police had to be called finally.
Bhuvan Sharma, a resident of tower P, said, “Those in favour of relocating the existing temple to the right side of the entrance gate were using abusive language. They came with women in the forefront to perform the puja. While opposing them, we had to put up with foul language. They were in majority, about 50 in number.”
He added that those opposing the puja had to inform Noida police. The police arrived within half-an-hour and stopped the Bhumi Pujan. The police also asked residents to arrive at a consensus before going ahead with the puja.
Residents perform the puja at Homes 121 in Noida on Sunday.
Pankaj Pant, SHO of Phase III police station, Noida, under whose jurisdiction the area comes, was not available for comment. Interestingly, according to residents, when they assured the police in writing that they won’t build a temple, the police allowed them to go ahead with the puja.
Ratik, another resident of tower P, said, “I am not against [relocating] the temple. But my objection is about the place where it has been proposed.”
Another resident of the society, Rishav Kumar, said that people supporting the relocation would, in effect, harm the green area beside the entry gate. “This place is not appropriate for religious purposes as a huge drainage line passes below the green area where the relocation of temple has been proposed,” he said. He alleged those trying to build a new temple were doing so forcefully.
Residents opposing the relocation also allege that the place would be developed into a parking lot after the relocation.
Sharma added that it would be tough to monitor visitors once the temple has been relocated as anyone could trespass saying he is going to the temple. “They [those in favour of the relocation] should build the new temple in the centre of the society. It will be convenient for residents to reach the temple.”
Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of those favouring the relocation, Sanjeev Dixit, a resident, said that a majority of residents are in favour of the relocation. “I expect that those opposing the relocation will also change their minds and contribute for the development of the temple.”
When City Spidey spoke to Vidhur Mittal and Abhay Pandey, residents of the society favouring the relocation, they said that the Bhumi Pujan was done as they wanted to relocate the temple to a cleaner place.
