Mangaladevi Temple's Navratri fair stirs debate

The upcoming Navratri festival at the Mangaladevi temple has stirred up a new debate surrounding the fair trade issue.

The district administration has announced a departure from the previous practice of allowing a single tenant to conduct business, opting instead to auction the available space. The District Collector has issued an order to implement this model for both the Navratri festival and year-round fairs.

As a result, the temple management board has conducted an auction process, stipulating that activities like gambling, lucky dips, and meat establishments are not permitted within the marketplace. The Collector’s directive also includes provisions for traders to maintain the cleanliness of their business areas and prohibits the use of loudspeakers.

According to the temple management, non-Hindu businesses near the temple are not restricted. The auction process for all 94 shops in the temple courtyard witnessed substantial participation, but notably, no non-Hindu traders were involved. Shop allocations were made in adherence to the District Collector’s guidelines.

However, concerns have been raised by certain individuals in the region, including D.K., and Sunil Kumar Bajal, the Honorary President of the Udupi fair Traders Coordination Committee, who pointed out that non-Hindu traders were excluded during the auction process, even though they sought space in the public area across from the corporation. Bajal declared their intent to challenge any restrictions on their businesses and held the corporation and district administration accountable for any issues that might arise.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) welcomed the auction process and urged other temple administrations in the district to adopt a similar approach, allowing only Hindu traders to participate.

Expressing their displeasure at the absence of Muslim traders from the trade fair, the D.K. and Udupi fair Traders Coordination Committee organized a protest near the Minividhana Soudha on October 13.