NT Reporter | Panaji
Admitting that a portion of the Parvat Paroda hillock was damaged during beautification work of the Chandreshwar Bhootnath Temple, the state government assured the High Court of Bombay at Goa on Monday that the damaged area will be restored to its original condition.
It also informed the court that, as the site is a protected area, necessary permission from the Centre would be obtained before commencing the restoration work.
The High Court adjourned the hearing for four weeks, allowing the state government time to submit a detailed restoration plan for approval.
The case pertains to a public interest litigation (PIL) involving the archaeological site of Shri Chandreshwar Bhootnath Parvat in Paroda. The petitioner, mahajan Aditya Dattu Raut Dessai, raised concerns over activities being carried out at the temple under the guise of upgradation and beautification.
The petition stated that the site, declared an ancient monument under the Goa Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1978, had suffered damage due to hill-cutting undertaken for construction of a retaining wall.
The High Court had said that there was need for a review of the current situation prevailing at the site and directed a joint inspection to be conducted on October 15 and 16, 2025, in the presence of the petitioner, officials of Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), the Director of Archives and Archaeology, government representatives and temple officials.
The court sought a fact-finding report with photographs to be submitted, based on which “the extent of the damage and the steps required for restoration of the monument shall be decided”.
