More than 8,000 devotees have visited the Khade Hanuman Temple near Sati Gate in Ujjain over the past four days after videos and reels related to the idol went viral on social media. Devotees from Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan have been visiting the temple, while the district administration has denied any attempt so far to remove or relocate the idol.
Videos and reels related to the famous Khade Hanuman Temple in Ujjain are continuing to circulate on social media. Videos showing the idol remaining in its place are being shared on platforms including Instagram and YouTube. After viewing these videos, a large number of devotees have been arriving at the temple.
More than 8,000 devotees have visited the temple for darshan in the past four days. They include devotees from Madhya Pradesh as well as Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Several young visitors have also been making reels of the temple and idol and sharing them on social media.
The administration has installed barricades around the temple in view of the increasing crowd of devotees. A large number of police personnel have also been deployed. Most of the area around the temple has been demolished over the past week, while the idol of Hanumanji is currently kept inside a tent.
The administration is also focusing on ensuring that devotees can have darshan in an orderly manner amid the growing crowd. Local residents said that such a large number of devotees had not been seen around the temple in the past several years.
Amid discussions on social media about attempts to remove the idol, a team from IIT Indore reached the temple on Monday and inspected the situation at the site. The team will visit the Khade Hanuman Temple again on Thursday for another inspection.
Meanwhile, devotees who arrived from different cities said they had seen reports about the temple on social media and news channels. They subsequently decided to travel to Ujjain to have darshan of Khade Hanumanji.
Amid the reports circulating on social media, the Ujjain district administration issued a press note on Wednesday clarifying its position. According to the administration, no attempt has so far been made, either through machinery or by human means, to remove or relocate the idol of Hanumanji.
The administration said the subject of the Khade Hanumanji idol is connected with the faith of Ujjain residents and devotees. It said the sentiments of devotees, the safety of the idol and Ujjain's religious and cultural heritage are being given the highest priority.
The administration described reports on social media claiming that several attempts had been made to remove the idol as misleading.
Following the administration's statement, some devotees and people associated with the temple opposed the claim. They said they have videos related to attempts to remove the idol and can show them to officials if required.
Shailu Yadav, who is associated with the temple, said the administration should respect public sentiment and allow Hanumanji to remain at the existing location. He claimed that a pit was dug in the presence of Municipal Corporation officer Himanshu Tiwari. He further claimed that a team from the Archaeological Department subsequently arrived at the site and that a cutting machine was also brought at night.
Several saints visited the temple on Wednesday after the dispute related to the temple and the viral social media videos. Congress MLA Mahesh Parmar and MLA Dinesh Jain Bose, along with several party leaders and workers, also visited the temple.
Congress leaders and workers recited the Hanuman Chalisa at the temple. They opposed the action related to the idol and raised their objections, linking the matter to the faith of devotees.
There is also discussion among devotees about a possible change in the direction of the idol if the temple is relocated. The idol of Khade Hanumanji currently faces south. If the idol is installed at the proposed temple site at Tanki Chauraha, it would face north.
Devotees said that a change in the direction of the idol is connected with religious and spiritual beliefs. Following claims that three attempts to relocate the idol had failed, several devotees have described this as God's will and demanded that the temple remain at its existing location.
