Archaeology Minister Subhash Phaldessai while meeting Shree Mahalasa Temple trust committee members at the Mahalasa temple in Verna.
Photo Credits: Vikram Nayak
VASCO
Minister for Archives and Archaeology Subhash Phaldessai on Friday morning reviewed the ongoing work at the ruins, including the tank, of Shree Mahalasa Narayani Temple in Verna and later also signed an MoU with Shree Mahalsa Narayani Charitable Trust.
Phaldessai said the MoU was a historic one and an example for other temple committees in the State.
"We are witnessing a historic moment where we are signing an agreement or MoU between the Archaeology department and the Shree Mahalsa Narayani Charitable Trust. The entire archaeological site area of around 75,000 sq mtrs consists of the temple, the sacred water body and other religious structures and while some were built by the archaeology department and some structures were built by the funds of the temple trust led by Kamlaksh Naik.”
“The temple trust committee has agreed to maintain all structures in this site through their own funds. The trustees requested the Archaeological department to allow the trust to maintain the temple and carry other development besides taking up further beautification of the magnificent Mahalsa temple at their own cost and we have signed an MOU agreement in this regard.”
“Henceforth, if they want to build any new structures in this area, we will give them the NOC to the trust to take up more development through the funds and donations from the devotees.”
Kamlaksh Naik of the Shree Mahalsa Narayani Charitable Trust said the MOU was needed because some documents were required from the archaeological department whenever the trustee planned to take up development works.
"The archaeological department cannot come here all the time and we are taking up all the activities here only after taking approval because this area is not ours at all. We have only built the temple and the archaeological department has got a huge plan for the area," said Naik.
