Days after a 100-year-old Durga temple in national Capital’s Lal Kuan was desecrated by a mob leading to communal tensions, new idols will be placed in the temple on Tuesday amidst chanting of mantras. 

According to Anil Kumar Pandey, the temple priest, new idols will be placed after the purification of the temple is completed around 10 am on Tuesday. Renovation and restoration work is being done and temple has been brought back to its old glory, Pandey added. “The Durga Mandir Street Committee is bearing all the expenses to renovate the temple. Some 35 families living in the locality and the committee members are bearing all the expenses to renovate the temple. Not even a single penny has been demanded from any outsider,” said Tara Chand Saxena (53),  Secretary of  Durga Mandir Street association.

“A public feast will be organised from 12 pm to 6 pm after the idols are placed in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple on Tuesday morning,” said Saxena.

The market of the Hauz Qazi area has been opened and normalcy has returned in the highly sensitive Walled City area. According to residents, the incident has impacted the lives of daily wages labourers who have been working since ages in Lal Kuan market. “They are facing financial difficulties  as they are not getting work since June 30,” said a resident.

Though, the situation has become conducive to business and other activities, however, residents fear there is disquiet among people after the mob comprising of Muslims had attacked the temple and broken idols. “The incident has left deep scars and will take some time before people are able to forget the dastardly attack on the night of June 30 last”, said a resident on the condition of anonymity.

According to a senior police official, Police and paramilitary personnel are still in the area and the deployment will be taken off after the process of purification and installation of new idols was over.   Earlier, Delhi Police had arrested seven men and apprehended eight juveniles in connection with the desecration of the much revered Durga Temple. Arrests were made after Delhi Police identified accused persons seen in the video. Senior officers of Delhi Police said that a strict vigil is being maintained in and around the area and all the trouble mongers have been kept on tight leash. Legal action will be initiated if anybody tries to disturb peace and communal harmony in the area.