The Akhil Karnataka Nathapantha Jogi Samaj Seva Samiti and Halavari Mutt Abhivridhi Samiti on Friday withdrew its protest over the Guppi Guhalaya issue which was scheduled to be held at Kamalashile village in Udupi district on Saturday.
The samiti had earlier said that the Brahmi Durgaparmeshwari Temple was trying to take over the rituals and other facilities at the centuries-old Guppi Guhalaya shrine belonging to the Natha sect in Kamalashile.
The protest was withdrawn after a meeting was held by Kundapur Tahsildar G.M. Borkar, where both sides reached an agreement on Friday.
Keshav Koteshwar, president of the State unit of the Akhil Karnataka Nathapantha Jogi Samaj Seva Samiti, told The Hindu that it was decided at the meeting that Mr. Borkar would ask the Endowment Department to decide to whom the Guppi Guhalaya shrine belonged — to the Jogi Samaj or the Brahmi Durgaparmeshwari Temple. Since this would take time, it had been decided that the temple would pay ₹ 25,000 monthly to Raghavendra Jogi, the priest of the shrine.
The temple workers and Raghavendra Jogi would serve as guides for the shrine on rotational basis. The temple would not interfere in the matters of the shrine. This arrangement will stay in place for the next six months. “Both our samaj and the temple management committee have given their nod to this agreement. Hence, we have withdrawn our protest scheduled on Saturday,” Mr. Koteshwar said.
The Guppi Guhalaya shrine is located in a cave on 27 cents of land amid a forest at Kamalashile. The government had given 27 cents of land in this forest to the Jogi community to carry on its prayers and traditions at the shrine. The deities, Sri Kalabhairava, Sri Amma and Naga, were worshipped at the shrine. The rituals were being conducted by a family belonging to the Jogi community (Natha sect) since centuries.
According to Mr. Koteshwar, though there was historical relation of this shrine with the nearby temple, the conduct of the rituals at the shrine was the exclusive preserve of the Jogi community. There is a connection between the shrine and the Halavari Mutt (affiliated to the Gorakhpur Moola Mutt) located at Yeddamogge, about seven kilometre from the shrine.
Till recently, the shrine used to receive 10 “murras” of rice from the Halavari Mutt, he said.
