Lucknow, July 31: Priests purified a temple in Uttar Pradesh's Hamirpur district with gangajal (water of Ganga river) after a visit of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA, who belong to Dalit community. Moreover, statutes of deities were sent to Allahabad to be cleansed with Sangam holy water. BJP MLA Manisha Anuragi, who visited the temple on July 12, was unaware that woman entry into the temple is banned.

Manisha Anuragi, who represents Raath Assembly seat, had visited Muskara Khurd village in her assembly constituency to attend a function. On the insistence of party workers, she later visited the famous Dhrum Rishi temple and offered prayers. She also climbed on a sacred platform where Rishi Dhrom is believed to have held his prayers. Anuragi's move left villagers fuming, and the temple was purified.

“Till today no women had entered the temple. When Manisha Anuragi entered the temple I was not there otherwise I would not have allowed her to enter," Swami Dayanad Mahant, the priest of the temple, as reported by Indian Express, said. The priest was also annoyed by the fact that the legislator belongs to a lower caste. Villagers later called a panchayat where they alleged that they were facing the wrath of gods since Anuragi visited the temple.

“No one has ever dared to climb on the platform. It is a sacred place, and people offer prayers by bowing down at the platform,” an angry villager was quoted as saying. On Saturday, villagers purified the temple and re-installed the statues of deities following a religious activity. The temple re-opened for ‘darshan’ to devotees. The legislator said she was unaware of the practices of the temple.

“It’s an insult to women if such things have happened. These are deeds of half-witted people," she said.

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