The dispute over the right to conduct the daily Shipra Aarti at Ram Ghat in Ujjain has intensified, with the Panda Committee announcing a Jal Satyagraha in the Shipra River on Saturday evening. The protest comes after police removed priests from the ghat on August 7 when they opposed the Mahakal Temple Committee's attempt to conduct the aarti.

The dispute has been continuing since August 5 and centres on who should have the responsibility of conducting the Shipra Aarti. While the administration wants to develop the ceremony on the lines of the grand Ganga Aarti in Haridwar and Varanasi, the Panda Committee says the move threatens the traditional role of the city's teerth purohits.

Dispute Started on August 5

According to the Panda Committee, priests have been conducting the Shipra Aarti at Ram Ghat every evening at around 6:30 pm for the past 11 years.

The latest dispute began on August 5 when the Mahakal Temple Committee sent a letter to the Mahakal police and local administration seeking security arrangements and other requirements for conducting the aarti. Around 5 pm, members of the temple committee, accompanied by batuks, reached Ram Ghat.

The Panda Committee members reportedly stopped them from conducting the ceremony. Later, the temple committee's batuks performed the aarti at another location on the ghat.

Police Removed Priests

The situation escalated again on August 7 when members of the Panda Committee opposed the Mahakal Temple Committee's batuks conducting the aarti at Ram Ghat.

Police personnel and two SDMs reached the spot and attempted to resolve the dispute. When the standoff continued, police removed the priests from the area and allowed the Mahakal Temple Committee's batuks to conduct the aarti at another location.

The police action has now become a major point of contention, with the Panda Committee deciding to stage a water protest in the Shipra.

'Aarti for 11 Years'

Panda Committee representative Rajesh Trivedi said the city's teerth purohits have been conducting the Shipra Aarti since 2015.

He said the format of the ceremony had already been expanded and improved over the years and argued that handing the responsibility to the Mahakal Temple Committee after 11 years amounted to removing the traditional priests from the event.

The committee has maintained that the priests will continue to conduct the aarti and that they will oppose any attempt by the temple committee to take over the ceremony.

Administration Cites Singhस्थ Preparations

SDM Pawan Baria said the administration's objective is to provide devotees visiting Ujjain during the upcoming Simhastha with an aarti experience comparable to those in Haridwar.

According to the administration, the Mahakal Temple Committee has decided to start the aarti along the Shipra River as part of preparations to improve the overall experience for pilgrims.

Another SDM, LN Garg, said the administration had proposed that priests from the Panda Committee join the temple committee's batuks for the ceremony. However, the proposal was not accepted.

The administration has indicated that the Shipra Aarti will now be conducted daily by the Mahakal Temple Committee.

Smart City Plans Bigger Event

The dispute has also emerged at a time when Ujjain Smart City Limited has floated a tender to develop the Shipra Aarti as a larger cultural and tourism event.

The tender, titled 'Ujjain Mein Maa Shipra Aarti Ka Ayojan', proposes using a private agency for organising, managing, branding and digitally promoting the ceremony.

According to Smart City CEO Sandeep Shiva, the selected agency will conduct daily and special aartis at the Shipra Ghat located behind Unity Mall under a public-private partnership model.

Water Protest Planned

The Panda Committee has announced that its members will conduct the Jal Satyagraha at 4 pm on Saturday to protest the police action and the proposed change in responsibility for the Shipra Aarti.

The continuing standoff has now placed the administration and traditional priests directly opposite each other. With Simhastha preparations gaining momentum, the manner in which the Shipra Aarti is organised is likely to remain a sensitive issue in Ujjain.