ASI Should Take a Second Decision on Declaring Ranchi's Brahma Temple as National Heritage: Jharkhand High Court

• 07 Sep 2023

Why In News?

On September 5, 2023, the Jharkhand High Court, while giving its verdict on the PIL filed for the preservation and declaration of the Brahma Temple located on top of the historic Tagore Hill in Ranchi as a national heritage, has said that regarding the declaration of the Brahma Temple of Tagore Hill as a national heritage In this, the Archaeological Department of India (ASI) should take a decision again within three months.

Key Points:

• The division bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kumar Mishra and Justice Anand Sen executed the PIL by giving several instructions to the state government. Earlier, after the completion of the hearing in the case on July 31, the division bench had reserved its decision.
• Directing the state government to remove encroachment from the Tagore Hill area, the bench said that the Land Reforms and Revenue Department will constitute a committee, which will measure the boundary wall of Tagore Hill. This measurement should be done as per the original revenue records. After this, the boundary wall of Tagore Hill should be brought back to its original form. The committee to be formed for the survey will have members nominated by the Deputy Commissioner of Ranchi.
• The division bench directed the state government to conserve and maintain the Brahma Temple, Kusum Tal, Shanti Dham and Samadhi Sthal of Tagore Hill. The division bench said that the Tagore Hill area should be beautified, and the entire area should be declared a plastic free zone.
• Earlier, during the hearing of the case, advocate Shailesh Poddar appeared on behalf of the applicant. Additional Advocate General Ashutosh Anand appeared on behalf of the State Government and Advocate Prashant Pallav appeared on behalf of the Central Government.
• It is noteworthy that a PIL was filed on behalf of the applicant Society of Preservation of Tribal Culture and Natural Beauty. The applicant had demanded the conservation of the Brahma Temple as well as declaring it as a national heritage.
• The petitioner in the case has said that the Brahma Temple situated on top of Tagore Hill in Morabadi was built in 1910. It was built by Jyotirindranath Tagore, elder brother of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. He was a dramatist, painter and musician. Along with the conservation of Brahma Temple, it should be declared a national heritage by the Archaeological Survey of India of the Central Government.