Junagadh: The sanctity of the revered shrine of Guru Gaurakshanath atop Girnar Hill was restored on Monday morning after miscreants vandalized the temple, uprooted the idol of Gaurakshanath, and decapitated it, throwing it into the valley below on Sunday. Following the incident, Junagadh Collector Anil Ranavasiya, SP Subodh Odedra, and other officials, along with sadhus and saints, performed the pran pratishtha (ritual reinstallation) of the new idol.

Present for the pran pratishtha were Mahant Somnath Bapu of the Gaurakshanath Temple, priest Kailasbapu, Bhavesh Vakeriya from the Uttara Mandal, Dahabhai of the Annakshetra at Girnar Ambaji Temple, Rameshbhai Bavaliya, president of the Doli Association, Astheybhai Purohit, and several other saints and community leaders.

The reinstallation ritual was conducted over approximately one hour. Bhavesh Vakeriya stated that the newly installed idol, brought urgently from Kutch, is currently small, but a larger idol will be installed in the future through another ceremony. The Collector, SP, and other officials actively participated in the rituals and received blessings from the saints.

The Sunday incident has sent shockwaves through the saint community nationwide, generating widespread anger and calls for swift action. The police have registered a case at Bhavnath Police Station and formed four separate teams to review CCTV footage and apprehend the culprits.

Temple authorities have warned that if the four individuals responsible are not arrested within four days, the Mahant has threatened to launch an indefinite fasting protest at Datt Chowk.

This incident has heightened security concerns on Girnar Hill, one of the highest spiritual sites in Junagadh, and authorities have vowed to take stringent action against the perpetrators. DeshGujarat