Tuljapur’s 108-ft Tulja Bhavani-Devi sculpture project faces controversy as temple trustee MLA Patil and Collector Pujar make contradictory claims over expert reports, triggering outrage over transparency and religious sentiment.
Tuljapur | July 23, 2025: A grand 108-foot sculpture of Goddess Tulja Bhavani handing the Bhavani sword to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, meant to symbolize the spiritual legacy of Maharashtra, has now sparked political and administrative controversy in Tuljapur.
What began as a prestigious religious project has now turned into a war of words between temple trustees and the district administration. The controversy initially revolved around whether the form of the Goddess should be octagonal or double-armed, a matter of aesthetic and symbolic representation. But now, things have taken a murkier turn.
MLA Rana Jagjitsinh Patil, a trustee of the Tulja Bhavani Temple Committee, has claimed that an expert report was submitted to the District Collector with clear recommendations on how the sculpture should be built. However, in a contradictory statement, District Collector and Temple Committee Chairman Kirti Kiran Pujar has denied receiving any such report.
This discrepancy has ignited serious concerns among devotees and locals, raising troubling questions:
– Who is telling the truth — the trustee or the chairman?
– Is there an attempt to suppress expert opinion or manipulate the process?
– And more critically, is the sentiment of devotees being betrayed in the name of politics or pressure?
Accusations are flying that the temple committee is playing hide-and-seek with facts, and possibly withholding key information. If the sanctity of a religious monument is being compromised by confusion, politics, or lack of transparency, it could lead to public unrest and distrust.
As this symbolic sculpture gains both spiritual and political significance, the administration must clarify the facts, ensure transparency, and respect the faith of the people, or risk escalating the controversy further.
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