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Canacona (Goa) : The temple committee of Shri Parshuram temple at Poigin, Canacona, Goa has banned entry to foreign tourist in the temple. The temple committee took the decision due to their repeated acts like taking pictures sitting in the seat kept at themandap of the temple meant for the Deity Shri Satyanarayan while performing the ritual undertaken as a vow by devotees, misbehaving and answering very rudely to the priest and the president of the temple committee objecting to these acts. The committee also has put up a notice board to that effect in the vicinity of the temple. (Foreign tourists visit temples wearing short dresses, instead of trying to maintain the holiness of temples, they put on loud music etc. and disturb other devotees affecting their peace of mind. Hence the decision taken by the temple committee is worth complementing. Other temple committees too can give a serious thought to this ! – Editor)
Three incidents of misbehaving foreign tourists at Shri Parshuram temple have been reported recently. Once, some foreign tourists were taking pictures sitting in the sacred seat meant for Shri Satyanarayan while performing His puja. When they were reprimanded for that by the priest of the temple and Kirtankar Nishikant Tengse, they answered very rudely in English, saying, ‘We are also devotees of God, you only know to preserve the holiness of temples? We also follow it.’ In another case, there was altercation between the president of the temple, Mr. Milind Prabhu and foreign tourists. After such recurring incidents, the temple committee has decided to ban the entry to the foreign tourist in the temple. Devotees have welcomed this decision whole heartedly. They are complementing the committee for such a step taken by them. Devotees were demanding that the tourists in short attire also should be banned from entering the temple as they are being banned from entering Shri Mahalsa and Shri Mangesh temples at Mardol and Mangeshi respectively in Ponda taluka of the state of Goa, in order to preserve the sanctity of the temples and stopping the anti- Dharma behaviour of tourists.
