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Uttarakhand govt demolishes 'Glacier Baba' temple near sacred Devi Kund pond

Uttarakhand govt demolishes 'Glacier Baba' temple near sacred Devi Kund pond

The demolition, carried out by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and forest personnel, took two days to complete, according to a report by the news agency PTI.

Business Today Desk
Business Today Desk
  • Updated Oct 9, 2024 4:10 PM IST
Uttarakhand govt demolishes 'Glacier Baba' temple near sacred Devi Kund pondUttarakhand government demolishes 'Glacier Baba' temple

Uttarakhand authorities recently demolished an illegal temple near the sacred Devi Kund pond, located at an altitude of 16,500 feet. The structure was built by self-styled godman Baba Yogi Chaitanya Akash, commonly referred to as 'Glacier Baba.'

The demolition, carried out by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and forest personnel, took two days to complete, according to a report by the news agency PTI.

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The Sunderdhunga Glacier falls within the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where unauthorised construction is strictly prohibited. Following the construction of the temple, the self-proclaimed godman began using the Devi Kund as a swimming pool, leading to local outrage as he frequently bathed in the pond. This pond holds significant cultural and religious importance, particularly during the Nanda Raja Jaat Yatra, a festival celebrated every 12 years, during which idols of deities are immersed in its waters.

Local residents brought this issue to the attention of the district administration in July. In response, the 'baba' claimed that he had received a divine order to build the temple through a dream, despite the region's ecological sensitivity.

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In a statement to PTI, Kapkot Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Anurag Arya remarked, “The baba has dubious antecedents. He was driven out of several places, including Dwarahat, before arriving here.” He described the structure as a simple one-room building constructed by Chaitanya Akash, who claimed to have received divine instructions to build it.

SDM Arya noted that no one was present at the site during the demolition. He explained that efforts to demolish the structure had been delayed due to adverse weather conditions, which made access to the site hazardous. The terrain is challenging, and attempting to reach the area during the peak of the monsoon season posed risks due to the heightened vulnerability of the landscape to natural disasters.

Published on: Oct 9, 2024 4:02 PM IST
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