RAIPUR: Tensions have escalated at the Maa Bamleshwari Dham in Rajnandgaon’s Dongargarh after the arrest of Raj Baiga Kishore Netam, amid a long-standing dispute between the temple management and the local Gond tribal community over ritual practices and cultural rights.
The arrest has revived a reportedly decades-old conflict between the Temple Trust Committee and the Gond community over ancestral worship rights, territorial identity and religious authority.
The immediate trigger for the current situation occurred on May 19, when traditional tribal prayers were conducted according to Baiga rituals near the old ropeway rock, locally revered as ‘Gadh Mata’. Allegations were raised that a rooster was allegedly sacrificed during the ceremony.
Following the incident, Manoj Agarwal, President of the Bamleshwari Temple Trust Committee, lodged a complaint at Dongargarh police station, stating that the act violated the sanctity of the temple, breached established religious boundaries and hurt the sentiments of devotees.
The Trust maintained that only Sanatan Vedic rituals are permitted within the complex and that animal sacrifice is strictly prohibited.
Acting on the complaint, police registered an FIR. Dongargarh SDOP Kesari Nandan Nayak confirmed that Kishore Netam was arrested and remanded to judicial custody, adding that an investigation is underway.
The confrontation marks another chapter in the long-standing dispute over the management and cultural identity of the shrine. The Gond community has, over the years, demanded fair representation within the temple trust and recognition of its historical association with the site. The issue has flared up repeatedly, particularly during the Navratri festival.
Members of the tribal and Gond communities have been protesting, asserting that their connection to the Bamleshwari hill predates modern administrative structures by centuries.
In contrast, the Temple Trust has maintained that strict adherence to Vedic guidelines is essential to preserve the spiritual integrity of the pilgrimage site.
The history of the Khairagarh royal family remains closely linked with the temple, further complicating claims over cultural guardianship. With Kishore Netam currently in judicial custody, resentment continues to simmer among sections of the local tribal population.
