GUWAHATI, June 23 - Taking advantage of the deep religious sentiments linked with Ambubachi, some unscrupulous elements are misusing the cyber space to mint money by cheating people.
Receiving complaints about online fraud by web portals and Facebook pages promising to offer puja inside the temple during Ambubachi, the shrine�s management committee has asked people to stay alert.
With growing cases of online fraud, even the religious practices are not spared. While the festival is getting more popular among the people in different parts of the country, some gullible devotees are also falling prey to tricks of swindlers in the name of religion.
�There are no such services provided from Devalaya like offering online puja or prasad. Moreover, the sanctum sanctorum remains off limits to everyone during the four days, so, the question of offering puja inside the temple does not arise. People must not fall for such fraudulent activities,� Kamakhya head priest Kabindra Sarma told The Assam Tribune.
The temple authorities would seek help from police to nab the culprits and monitor the mushrooming of such sites, which not only spread lies about Kamakhya but also dent the image of the State.
Last year, the police took action against two such facebook pages that were making false promises in the name of Ambubachi.
�This time also, we have come to know about such online activities of either promising special puja or spreading some lies about Kamakhya,� sources in the Kamakhya Devalaya Managing Committee said, adding that the committee would go to the police if such practices are not stopped.
�Suddenly, the Internet is filled up with a number of false, objectionable and fictitious images of Maa Kamakhya. Some websites are also spreading wrong information about the rituals at Kamakhya without verifying it. A Facebook page had also copied the design of the official web page of Kamakhya Devalaya, which was later closed down.
�Operating mostly from outside the State, such websites and web pages trap unsuspecting people. Along with spreading lies, such activities also dent the image of the State, which is not acceptable,� the sources added.
