Unholy mess outside 200-yr-old Sri Jain Dadawadi temple

HYDERABAD: Overflowing garbage dumped outside the two-century-old Sri Jain Dadawadi temple at Karwan near Gudimalkapur is a source of concern for the hundreds of devotees who visit the temple each day.

Devotees visiting the temple are horrified by the garbage and stench surrounding it, as all of the trash cleaned out of homes by local residents is dumped directly in front of the Jain temple complex.

Hundreds of devotees regularly visit the area surrounding the 200-year-old Jain temple, and the temple is thronged with thousands of devotees on Sundays and special occasions.

"There is an open disputed plot just opposite the temple. Local residents are dumping garbage in front of the plot, spilling over and coming until the gate of the temple. The civic authorities must resolve this issue because this is a holy place for the Jain community," said Surendra Luniya, president of the Sri Jain Dadawadi temple.

The temple administration and devotees raised the issue with the civic authorities, but to no avail. Every day, the garbage pile grows larger, making the situation unbearable for the devotees.

A recent eight-day fasting period known as ‘Paryushan Mahaparva’ was observed by the city's Jain community. During this time, specialised pujas and prayers had to be performed amidst the foul smell emanating from the garbage pile. "I visit this temple every morning, and it makes me sick and nauseated as I pass by this garbage dump right in front of the temple. Hundreds of Jain devotees face the same difficulty when entering the temple. Jains recently had eight holy days, during which thousands of people came, and the majority of them complained about the same thing," said Sangeetha Nahata Jain, a devotee.