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Maheshwar prepares for Mehta and Water

Neeraj Mishra in Bhopal

News reporters and television crew have reached Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone district, anticipating that Deepa Mehta would start shooting her controversial film Water there.

Camera units are now scouting the ghats along the river Narmada for what is believed to be ground work for Mehta. A veil of secrecy covers the whole exercise in view of the threats from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

Mehta had said in Bhopal on Thursday that she was not be very keen to shoot along the Narmada because it was not very representative. But in the same vein she had said that the script did not require a Benaras as such. A final decision could be taken only after she had seen the Maheshwar ghats.

The district administration in Maheshawar, for its part, is keeping its counsel. Ask you may, but it will not reveal what instructions it has received from Bhopal.

But both Collector Bhupal Singh and Superintendent of Police R K Vij have made flying visits to the site and surveyed it from all angles for security.

There are other pointers as well. The Circuit House is being spruced up to receive important visitors. Sources confirmed that bulk bookings have been made at another guest house.

The Electricity Board guest house too has been reserved.

The ghost of VHP may not leave Mehta, however. Local religious bodies are gearing up to tackle her. The chief of Markandeya Ashram Swami Ramanand Saraswati has said that he will oppose the shooting if there is anything "hurtful to Hindu sentiments in it.''

Maheshwar was built by Ahilya Bai Holkar as the capital of her Malwa empire three centuries ago. It has been a prosperous religious town ever since.

The ghats and the temples surrounding them were build by Ahilya. They are similar to the ones in Varanasi. The difference is only in the presiding deity. While Vishnu rules Varanasi, Shiva is the god in Maheshwar and Omkareshwar.

Of late, Bollywood stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda have visited the place for yagnas.

Meanwhile in Bhopal Uma Bharti has written a two-page letter to Deepa Mehta exhorting her to consider other issues before taking up Chief Minister Digvijay Singh's invitation.

"You are a woman and should look into the plight of women in the state before you start to shoot there,'' the letter said.

Bharti had earlier said that Mehta would be greeted with stones if she decided to shoot in MP.

UNI

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