Unholy row: Kollur just can’t ‘bury’ this controversy

Udupi: The temple town of Kollur in Udupi district observed a bandh on Wednesday as per the call given by various organisations demanding that the authorities shift the body of Sri Vimalananda Swamiji.

Sri Vimalananda Swamiji of Nithyananda Ashram in Kollur passed away on June 2 and his body was buried in the Ashram premises. Devotees and the administration of the temple opposed this as they claim that the body was buried within the "Gadi" (boundary) of the famous Kollur Shri Mookambika Temple.

They claimed that the burial of the body within the limits of the temple goes against tradition and wanted the Math to shift the body. But devotees of Vimalananda Swamiji refused to shift the body which resulted in a feud between the two groups.

A report on these developments was submitted by the Executive Officer of the temple to the Deputy Commissioner who had forwarded it to the Endowment Department.

People voluntarily participated in the bandh. Shops and hotels were shut and buses remained off the roads. Police security was beefed up in the village to ensure that there were no untoward incident. The number of devotees coming to Mookambika Temple was less. Meanwhile the Pooja and other religious events were held without any interruption.