Basadi worship dispute: Upadhye trustees seek evidence

CH NEWS, LAKSHMESHWAR Hereditary trustees of the historic 1008 Anantanathaswami Basadi in Lakshmeshwar have submitted a memorandum to the Tahsildar, denying allegations made by certain Jain community leaders regarding the temple's administration and worship rights. The trustees, members of the Upadhye family, including Subhas M. Upadhye, Nagaraj Manikappa Upadhye, Manjunath Manikappa Upadhye, Aravind Manikappa Upadhye and Vidyadhar Chandappa Upadhye, submitted their clarification and requested an inquiry into the dispute. According to the memorandum, daily worship and cleaning of the Basadi have traditionally been performed by family members on a rotational basis, with each member taking responsibility for one year. This year, the responsibility falls on Subhas Upadhye, who has reportedly been living away from Lakshmeshwar for nearly 30 years. Local Jain community members had been performing the rituals on his behalf. However, disagreements between him and community members have reportedly disrupted the worship this year. The trustees denied claims that salaried priests had been appointed to perform regular rituals for the past 70 to 80 years. They stated that the hereditary family tradition involves performing Jalabhisheka and cleaning the Basadi. They also clarified that priests engaged by community members for special poojas, havanas and ceremonies have no connection with the trustees. They further stated that they had continued their traditional responsibilities despite the government order providing monthly payments of ₹6,000 for priests and ₹5,000 for assistant priests. The family alleged that statements made against them in the media had damaged their reputation. They challenged those making the allegations to submit supporting evidence to the Tahsildar within seven days. The trustees also requested an official inspection of the Basadi to establish the facts and resolve the dispute. Several senior members and other relatives of the Upadhye family were