Sukma (Chhattisgarh): Similar to the nearly 500-year wait for the construction of the Ramjanmabhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya, residents of a village in the Sukma district of Chattisgarh waited 21 years for the doors to Lord Ram's temple to open before a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp was created.
Security forces have reopened the temple in Keralapenda village, which was closed 21 years ago due to threats from Naxals, following the establishment of the CRPF's 74th battalion camp.
Around 40 security camps across Bastar region has enabled jawans to access the interior villages. Due to this access, a new CRPF camp was opened between Kerlapenda and Lakhapal, and the local tribals, for the first time, could interact with security personnel.
“On March 14, 2023, CRPF set up their camp in Lakhapal. In the Keralapenda village, we saw a temple which was in ruins. The villagers informed us that it was a historical temple and there also used to be an annual fair. The temple was vandalised by the Naxalites in 2003 and they forcefully stopped all the prayers at the temple.
The villagers requested the CRPF that the temple be revived. Our CRPF teams and the villagers cleaned up the temple. Now it has been handed over to the villagers,” said Himanshu Pandey, Commandant of the CRPF 74 Corps.
The Maoists vandalized this shrine in the village of Kerlapenda, forcing its closure twenty-one years ago. Additionally, residents were advised not to attend the temple. Approximately 10 miles from Tadmetla, the site of the 2010 Maoist ambush that claimed the lives of 76 jawans, the village is situated in the center of a Maoist stronghold.
The people of Kerlapenda are happy that the ancient temple has reopened, but they are also preparing to hold a Bhandara.
The Maoists used to frequently erect camps and host meetings close to the village, according to information provided by the local police, making the area a stronghold for them in 2010. The Maoists had issued warnings to the villagers not to visit the temple in an effort to deter them from leaving.
Since the reopening of the village's historic temple also marks the beginning of Chaitra Navratras, the locals are pleased. Ravi Kumar Meena, an assistant commandant of the CRPF from the Lakhapal security camp, stated that because of the locals' strong religious beliefs, the proposal to reopen the temple had been discussed by them during the security forces' medical camps. On Monday, a medical tent was set up in front of the temple.
Together with the residents, officials and troopers cleaned up the area surrounding the shrine before opening its doors. All customs and rituals were performed once the deities were worshipped. Villages expressed gratitude to CRPF officials and men for their efforts in opening the temple, as they were impressed by their work.
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