Malappuram: A major political standoff has erupted in Kerala just days before the commencement of the ‘Maha Magha’ festival—popularly known as the Kerala Kumbh Mela—after revenue officials issued a stop memo halting critical infrastructure work. The order directed the immediate suspension of work on a temporary bridge across the Bharathapuzha River, intended for pilgrim access.
The festival, slated to run from January 18 to February 3 near the historic Nava Mukunda Temple, is now in limbo. According to the Thirunavaya Village Officer, the construction, which involved heavy machinery for levelling the riverbed, violated the Kerala River Banks and Regulation of Removal of Sand Act, 2001. Officials claimed the work was an illegal encroachment without prior sanction.
Organisers, however, hit back, claiming that all necessary permissions had been sought well in advance. They alleged that the sudden intervention, with no prior warnings during a month of ongoing work, is a deliberate attempt to demoralise devotees and sabotage the event.
Senior BJP leader Kummanam Rajasekharan termed the move “illegal” and a “violation of religious freedom.” In a social media post, he questioned why authorities waited until the final stages of preparation to act if there were indeed illegalities. Held at the legendary site of the medieval Mamankam festival, the Maha Magha event is guided by the Juna Akhara, the premier monastic order behind the major Kumbh Melas in North India. (TW)
For more details: Navamalayalam.com