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Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Ganesh temple priest, not officials, involved in birthday gathering at Ranthambore temple, finds NTCA probe
Officials of Rajasthan's Ranthambore tiger reserve were not involved in organising a birthday party on April 4 at the Trinetra Ganesh Temple inside the Ranthambore Fort, a central inquiry team is learnt to have informed the National Tiger Conservation Authority, adding that the party was held by the temple's priest and his family members. The three-member team was formed to inquire into Rajasthan Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena's complaint to the Centre. He had alleged that a 'birthday party' was held at the ancient temple, inside the Ranthambore Fort, in connivance with forest officials. The inquiry team has submitted to the NTCA that the birthday party was a gathering the temple priest had held to celebrate a family member's birthday, according to sources aware of the developments. The people at the gathering had come in vehicles and overstayed their visit to the temple, past the sundown deadline to leave the tiger reserve. In light of the findings, the three-member team has recommended strict enforcement of the deadline to exit the tiger reserve, which is often frequented by religious pilgrims, it is learnt. The inquiry team has asked the state forest department and the Ranthambore field officials to create a mechanism to inform visitors to Trinetra Ganesh temple of the tiger reserve's entry and exit times, through announcements, for instance. The inquiry team included representatives of the NTCA, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, and a senior official of the Rajasthan forest department. The Ranthambore field staff had fined the vehicle owners for overstaying, The Indian Express reported earlier. In his April 5 letter to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, Meena also alleged that on the evening the birthday party was held, locals were disallowed to pray at the Ganesh temple, even as they were entering the park within the prescribed time limit. The NTCA had sought an explanation from the Rajasthan forest department and Ranthambore field officials and formed a three-member team to inquire into the matter. The Trinetra Ganesh temple is located in the core zone of the Ranthambore National Park and Tiger Reserve. The temple is widely revered in the region, with locals visiting it almost daily and crowds thronging it during festivals. Incidentally, between April and June, three people have died in tiger attacks. One of them, Kartik Suman, a 7-year-old boy, was killed near the Ganesh temple. On May 11, Range Officer Devendra Singh was killed near the Jogi Mahal gate, an erstwhile hunting lodge facing the Padam Talao lake. Kartik and Devendra were killed by Kankati, a sub-adult tigress born to the famous Arrowhead tigress, which died on June 19. Kankati was moved to Mukundara Tiger Reserve on Thursday and will be kept in a soft enclosure. Soon after Meena's complaint, the Ranthambore field director K R Anoop and the Rajasthan forest department defended itself in a letter to Centre. It said that Ranthambore field staff found private vehicles near Jogi Mahal and when they reached the Ganesh temple, they had found the priest and others preparing for bhajan. The officials had ordered all except those who live in the temple to leave, seized their vehicles, and recovered Rs 3,50,000 in fines. When contacted, Anoop said, 'The basic premise of Mr Meena's complaint was that we had helped organise a gathering, but we were never involved in any such thing, nor did we give such permissions. The Ranthambore Fort and Ganesh temple are under the Archaeological Survey of India and they manage the premises. After the April incident, we have stepped up coordination to ensure visitors do not overstay.' An award-winning journalist with 14 years of experience, Nikhil Ghanekar is an Assistant Editor with the National Bureau [Government] of The Indian Express in New Delhi. He primarily covers environmental policy matters which involve tracking key decisions and inner workings of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He also covers the functioning of the National Green Tribunal and writes on the impact of environmental policies on wildlife conservation, forestry issues and climate change. Nikhil joined The Indian Express in 2024. Originally from Mumbai, he has worked in publications such as Tehelka, Hindustan Times, DNA Newspaper, News18 and Indiaspend. In the past 14 years, he has written on a range of subjects such as sports, current affairs, civic issues, city centric environment news, central government policies and politics. ... Read More
Hans India
10-06-2025
- Hans India
Priest killed by tiger in Ranthambore Fort
Jaipur: In a tragic incident, a tiger attacked and killed a 60-year-old priest inside the historic Ranthambore Fort on Monday morning. The deceased has been identified as Radheshyam Saini, a resident of Sherpur village, who had been serving at the Jain temple in the fort for the past two decades. According to reports, the priest had gone out for his morning routine when the tiger struck. This marks the third fatal tiger attack in the area within the last two months. The shocking incident has triggered public anger. Local residents blocked the Sawai Madhopur-Kundera road, blaming the Forest Department for negligence. Villagers alleged that despite previous attacks, no effective action has been taken to protect people living in and around the forest zone. The Forest Department had issued an advisory only on Sunday, restricting the entry of civilians into the Ranthambore Fort due to increased tiger movement in the region. Locals are now demanding adequate compensation for the bereaved family and stricter safety protocols. Earlier, on April 21, a 7-year-old boy was mauled by tigress Kanakati near the Trinetra Ganesh temple. The child was returning with his grandmother when the tigress emerged from the forest and snatched him. The attack took place in the Amarai forest area. On May 12, a forest ranger was fatally attacked while on patrol near Jogi Mahal in Zone 3 of the Tiger Reserve. The tiger pounced on him near the Chhoti Chhatri area, targeting his neck and sitting on the body for nearly 20 minutes post the attack. All three attacks -- April 21, May 12, and June 9 -- have occurred within a 2 km radius of the Ranthambore Fort. Experts believe this concentrated pattern is alarming and necessitates immediate action, including relocation of tigers or stricter human entry control. As the community mourns the loss of a priest, the focus now shifts to what preventive steps authorities will take to ensure human-wildlife conflict in the region does not escalate further, said locals.
Hindustan Times
08-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Rajasthan: Entry of private vehicles banned in Ranthambore, Sariska tiger reserves
Jaipur: The forest authorities of Ranthambore and Sariska tiger reserves in Rajasthan on Wednesday imposed a ban on the entry of private vehicles to visit temples within the reserves, citing increased tiger movement and growing concerns over tourist safety. The decision follows the death of a 7-year-old boy from Lakheri village in Bundi, who was mauled by a tiger in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) on April 16 while returning from the Trinetra Ganesh temple with his parents and grandfather. 'To ensure the safety of pilgrims and to manage the situation more effectively, only forest-authorised or state transport buses will be permitted to carry passengers to the temple. In an effort to minimise inconvenience, RSRTC (Rajasthan state road transport corporation) buses will be made available from both Sariska and Tehla gates for the transportation of visitors,' conservator of forest and field director for Sariska Tiger Reserve Sangram Singh Katiyar said. Highlighting a steady rise in the number of devotees visiting the Trinetra Ganesh temple, a senior official of the RTR said that a safety measure has been emphasised to private regulate vehicular movement to the temple after the recent tiger attack in April. The official added that, as per the zone plan for pilgrimage movement in the Critical Tiger Habitat (CTH) outlined in the Regional Tiger Conservation Plan 2022–23 to 2031–32, 'only local taxis and large vehicles like canters should be allowed to transport passengers.' 'The private vehicles coming from outside the district and state should not be allowed to park their vehicles inside the park. They should be encouraged to park their vehicles near Sherpur tri-junction. They can use the local taxis for plying up to the temple. This will add to the local revenue,' he added. According to the forest authorities, only vehicles registered with the RJ25 state code will be permitted entry into the forest area in the Sawai Madhopur district. The authorities have been instructed to ensure that vehicles arriving from outside are parked near the Sherpur Trijunction. 'Devotees will be transported to and from the Trinetra Ganesh Temple from Sherpur Trijunction via local taxis. Only vehicles with official public or private permissions will be allowed to enter the forest area, and a safe walking route must be ensured for pilgrims traveling on foot. It must also be strictly ensured that no outside vehicles are allowed entry into the park zone,' the official said. Similarly, the Sariska tiger reserve authorities have decided to restrict the entry of private vehicles up to the Pandupol temple. 'The decision will primarily affect visitors on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and full moon days, when footfall to the temple sees a significant rise,' an official said.
