Live telecast of Aarti at Shiv Khori Shrine remains a distant dream

Attempts made since 2019 yet to yield positive results

No concrete steps taken to prepare Master Plan

Mohinder Verma

JAMMU, May 8: Even after repeated announcements from different quarters during the past so many years, live telecast of Aarti at Shri Shiv Khori Shrine on the analogy of Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine continues to remain a distant dream mainly because Board looking after the affairs of the revered shrine has failed to rope in any television channel for the same.
Moreover, no practical step has so far been taken to prepare Master Plan for Shiv Khori Shrine, which otherwise is imperative to ensure holistic and planned development in future.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that during the period between 2017 and 2019 MH One Channel, which ensures live telecast of Aarti at Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine twice a day, facilitated Shri Shiv Khori Shrine Board for live telecast of Aarti of Lord Shiva but the arrangements discontinued from 2019 mainly because of failure of the Shrine Board to meet even the basic expenditure of the channel.
“Since then the facility for lakhs of devotees across the country is not available although the issue was discussed in numerous meetings of Shrine Board as well as those taken by respective Deputy Commissioners of Reasi in their capacity as Vice-Chairman of the Board”, sources said.
In a meeting held on April 26, 2022, Vice Chairperson (Deputy Commissioner) of Shri Shiv Khori Shrine Board (SSKSB) discussed the modalities for the live telecast of Aarti at the Shri Shiv Khori Shrine and certain decisions were taken. It was stated at that time that live telecast of Aarti is imperative to give wide publicity to the shrine and attract more pilgrims to the revered place.
“However, no positive result came out of discussion and this can be gauged from the fact that in the Board meeting of the Shrine Board held in the month of November last year, the Divisional Commissioner, who is also Chairman of the Board, directed the Deputy Commissioner Reasi to establish contact with the live broadcast channel and re-start the live Aarti. Moreover, he asked the Deputy Commissioner to ensure the Aarti live telecast timings don’t clash with the live Aarti of Shri Matavaishno Devi for convenience of viewers (devotees)”, sources said.
They further said, “despite all this live telecast of Aarti at Shiv Khori Shrine has not started till date as tender floated by Shrine Board evoked poor response from the television channels and now it has been decided to float the tender once again”, adding “unless the Board makes some additional efforts apart from floating the tenders the much-needed live telecast of Aarti is not going to become reality”.
An officer of the Board, when contacted, confirmed that there was no expected response to the tender floated for the live telecast of Aarti, adding “MH One Channel, which telecast Aarti at Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine, is not ready to facilitate us free of cost and some sort of benefit is required to be provided to the channel”.
“In the next meeting of the Shrine Board this issue will be debated and hopefully some concrete decision will be taken so that live telecast of Aarti becomes reality”, he said while wishing anonymity.
Not only this, the Shrine Board has even failed to take any concrete steps for preparation of Master Plan for Shri Shiv Khori Shrine on the lines of Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine despite being aware of the fact that such a plan is imperative for holistic and planned development of entire shrine area in future, sources said.
In the last Board meeting, Divisional Commissioner too had laid stress on preparation of Master Plan including development of facilities for pilgrims and works to be taken up in future for overall development of shrine and upgradation of facilities.
“It is a fact that exercise in this regard is yet to be started but the Board is very serious on this aspect and shortly some agency or reputed institution of the country will be engaged for preparation of Master Plan”, officer of the Shrine Board said.