NEW DELHI, INDIA, October 6, 2002: Residents of the Kailash area of Delhi have been caught up in an ongoing debate with the Sanatan Dharam Mandir. Anju Sehgal Gupta, a resident who was recently threatened by 40 temple sympathizers said, “The character of the temple has changed and authorities treat it more like a three-star hotel. Parties are hosted, as the covered area is large. There is a five-story building, a four-story building and a sammelan hall.” Rajnish Goenka, the temple’s president, responded, “No … commercial activity has taken place since 1998 when the unauthorized portions were sealed. The functions are well within the Hindu rituals, like marriages.” The 100 families, who live on the same lane as Anju Gupta, have taken their complaints to court. Objecting to the loud music at night and the generators, which provide uninterrupted power for the parties, the residents have made their case known to police. Goenka denies that loud Western music has been played. Sneh Mahajan, another resident who teaches history at IP College says, “The continuous tug-of-war between the temple authorities and the residents has robbed us of our privacy and thefts have been reported whenever marriages take place in the temple, as a lot of outsiders roam around the area.” Temple expansion without benefit of zoning approval is a common problem through India’s urban areas.
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