Vankhandeshwar Temple Purified with Ganga Water After Naseem Solanki's Jalabhishek

On Diwali, SP candidate Naseem Solanki went to the Vankhandeshwar Temple in the Sisamau area, did a "Jalabhishek" on the Shivling, and lit diyas in the presence of Arya Nagar SP MLA Amitabh Bajpai and other supporters. The act has, however, caused a political and religious storm in the region.

SP Candidate Naseem Solanki’s Temple Visit Sparks Controversy

The temple committee officials and priests, after the visit of Solanki, performed purification ritual on Saturday. They brought Ganga water from Haridwar, sprinkling it all over the temple and washing the Shivling.

This is at a critical time since nine assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh are set for by-elections on November 13. The intensity of campaigning continues and SP candidate is Naseem Solanki, wife of former MLA Irfan Solanki. BJP candidate Suresh Awasthi is also reaching out to the people to secure his position in the assembly.

The visit of Naseem Solanki to the temple was a hot topic of discussion all over the city. The attention was not only drawn by the temple authorities but also by various religious organizations. The national president of All India Muslim Jamaat issued a "fatwa" against Solanki's act, terming her participation in a Hindu religious ritual as a sin. In response, the temple priests performed a thorough purification process, which was captured in a video that has surfaced online.

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The event shows that Uttar Pradesh remains highly politically charged as every candidate tries to connect with the voters irrespective of their particular communities. For example, while some may view the gesture that Solanki had made as a bridge between the two cultures, others found it more political in nature. Thus, the purification ritual and its debates indicate the complex interplay between religion and politics in the region.