Meghalaya: Hindus can now worship Bhagwan Shiv at Mawjymbuin Cave; Administration issues order after resolving conflict

Guwahati: On December 3, a joint meeting at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in East Khasi Hills, Shillong, settled the dispute over Hindu rites in Mawjymbuin Cave in Mawsynram in Meghalaya. The debate to resolve the conflict was attended by representatives of Dorbar Shnong Hima Mawsynram and the Hindu rights organisation Kutumba Suraksha Parishad (KSP).

Kutumba Suraksha Parishad (KSP) President Satya Ranjan Borah told ‘Organiser’ that unlimited access to worship at the Mawjymbuin Cave Shivling in Mawsynram has been confirmed during a stakeholder meeting held at the office of the East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner. According to the press release, the DC and Dorbar Shnong Hima Mawsynram representatives have set up daily visitation hours from 9am to 5pm, with intentions to make extra arrangements for Shravan.

The government statement emphasised that there is no prohibition on worshiping the Shivling in the Mawjymbuin Cave. As agreed upon by all parties involved, including KSP’s 16-member delegation at the conference, the release stated that environmental protections will continue to be in place, forbidding the use of smoke-producing equipment on the cave grounds.

Borah said, “We have been working towards strengthening the National Integrity and Social Harmony in the Nation,” describing their involvement in response to requests from the Meghalaya Indigenous Minorities Tribal Forum and Seng Khasi Hima Mawsynram. “We express our gratitude to the East Khasi Hills District Administration and the Meghalaya government for arranging the meeting and expressing their intention to resolve the conflict,” Borah continued in the statement.

KSP has sent a formal letter to Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma via the Deputy Commissioner’s office, in addition to attending the stakeholder meeting. In addition to outlining KSP’s engagement, the letter offers specific recommendations for the administration of the cave. “This is our fundamental duty as proud citizens of India to protect our fundamental rights anywhere in the country,” Borah writes in the letter, highlighting the KSP’s constitutional mandate. Among the fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution are the freedoms of expression, movement, worship, and life.

The letter makes a number of important recommendations for the management of the cave: The application of established worship guidelines and practices limitations on lighting dhup and dias inside the cave to protect the environment; prohibitions on placing flowers and fruits directly on the Shivling Offer to help raise the cave’s natural prominence while honoring local beliefs; suggest distributing the gathered offerings to the underprivileged and needy in the area. The letter ends with a pledge to preserve the traditional cultural heritage of Meghalaya: “We sincerely love the beauty and feel the pride for the age-old indigenous cultural heritage of Meghalaya”, the statement added.