8-member committee to oversee management of Datta Peetha

CHIKKAMAGALUR: The state government on Friday issued orders for setting up of a management committee for the Datta Peetha atop Baba Budangiri Hills here. The eight-member committee includes two women and one Muslim representative.
As per the order, the shrine will be considered a Grade-A composite institution under the Hindu Religious Institutions And Charitable Endowments Department and the management committee will have the powers to name the priest and the type of worship and other issues.

A total of 42 individuals had applied to be part of the management committee and eight people were selected after due verification by the district adminstration.

Control of the controversial pilgrim site, revered by both Hindus and Muslims, had become a bone of contention and the Datta Peetha had also come to be known as the Ayodhya of Karnataka. The dispute had been going on for decades.

A huge victory for Hindus as CM Shri @BSBommai Government appoints the Management Committee to Datta Peeta in Chikkamagaluru.

I congratulate and thank everyone who contributed to this hard fought victory over the last 5 decades.

May Guru Dattatreya guide us in the days to come.

— C T Ravi ಸಿ ಟಿ ರವಿ (@CTRavi_BJP) November 18, 2022

A cabinet sub-committee had visited the shrine last year and submitted a report on the type of worship to be followed.

“This is a historic win for the struggle which had been going on for five decades. A management committee has been formed for the management of the pilgrim site which is dear to Hindus. I thank the BJP government, led by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, and all the volunteers and devotees who have fought for the protection of the Datta Peetha”, tweeted BJP national general secretary C T Ravi, wo was in the forefront of the campaign.