108 ropanis of Galeshwar Mahadev temple's land missing

By Amrit Prasad Poudel,Myagdi, Apr. 29: Around 108 ropanis of Guthi land, registered in the name of Galeshwor Dham Temple, a holy pilgrimage site, has disappeared.

According to the data from the Galeshwor Shivalaya Area Development Trust, the Guthi land established for the management and operation of the temple is now missing.

Although records of the land are intact at the District Land Revenue Office,  the Galeshwor Shivalaya Area Development Trust has not had records of all its land. 

Madhav Prasad Regmi, Chairman of the Galeshwor Shivalaya Area Development Trust, said that only around 56 ropanis of land are currently registered in the name of Shivalaya.

He further added that one ropani of land purchased for water in Jaljala Rural Municipality, Parbat, is under the name of Galeshwor Shiva Guthi.

However, according to records at the Land Revenue Office, Myagdi, more than 164 ropanis of land have been identified in various locations under the name of Galeshwor Shiva Guthi.

The Land Revenue Office records indicate that 164 ropanis, 9 annas, and 2 dam of land are listed in the name of Galeshwor Shiva Guthi.

According to this data, 9 ropanis, 8 annas, 3 paisa, and 2 dam of lands are located in Pulachaur, Beni Municipality-5, six ropanis, 10 annas, 3 paisa and 3 dam in Arthunge, and 149 ropanis, 9 paisa, 2 paisa, and 2 dam in the Ghatan area of Beni Municipality-9.

The Galeshwor Shivalaya Area Development Trust, however, does not have the data of Pulachaur and Arthunge, while it holds land ownership rights for only 56 ropanis of land in the Ghatan area. 

Regmi, Chairman of the Trust, stated they do not know who had seized the land in the past. He mentioned that despite coordinating with the Director of the Guthi Sansthan, no positive response was received.

Regmi added that when they inquired about the missing land, the Guthi Sansthan responded that the focus is on safeguarding the currently recorded land, rather than searching for the missing land.

Earlier, there was no committee or institutional body to protect the land, so others may have seized it. However, measures have now been taken to protect all the land by building a wall. Currently, the land around the Galeshwar Temple is secured, although some land elsewhere has been grabbed by individuals.

Advocate Prem Bahadur Karki, a local of Galeshwor, expressed that they were unaware of the extent of land registered under the name of Galeshwor. He suggested that the Galeshwor Shivalaya Area Development Trust should take proper legal action to recover the land.