India, Jan. 12 -- A recent administrative order issued by the Datia district administration in Madhya Pradesh to constitute a monitoring and assistance committee for the management of Peetambara Peeth has triggered a sharp confrontation with the temple trust, a dispute that has drawn wider attention given the shrine's long-standing religious, political and cultural significance.

The order, issued on 5 January by Datia Collector Swapnil Wankhede, invokes Section 22 of the Madhya Pradesh Public Trusts Act, 1951, and cites public safety, crowd management, construction oversight and financial transparency as reasons for administrative intervention. The administration has argued that the scale of pilgrim footfall and ongoing construction acti...