Nearly 21 months after it was destroyed in a landslide, the Shiv Bawdi Temple at Shimla’s Summerhill will likely be opened for devotees on Might 18, say temple officers, including that the development has been accomplished.
The Shiv Bawdi Mandir Committee has constructed a brand new temple atop a two-storey constructing subsequent to the destroyed construction, utilizing funds raised themselves (HT Photograph)
On August 14, 2023, 20 individuals had been killed and the temple was destroyed in a landslide, killing 20 devotees, amid floods throughout the state.
The Shiv Bawdi Mandir Committee has constructed a brand new temple atop a two-storey constructing subsequent to the destroyed construction, utilizing funds raised themselves.
Committee members say they’ve put in idols of Ram, Sita and Hanuman within the new temple. The committee, as a part of consecration ceremony, has began providing prayers and a hawan was began on Might 12, which is able to final until Might 18, when will probably be opened to public with a feast.
The development had already began earlier than the calamity in 2023 however was briefly halted amid floods throughout the state.
“We have raised the structure with the funds of the temple committee and did not seek any aid from the government,” stated Jagdish Thakur, member of the temple committee.
The landslide on the temple had began from the slope part of the Indian Institute of Superior Research (IIAS), a British-era constructing, and impacted the higher Summerhill street. Together with burying the temple, the particles had broken the higher and decrease Summerhill roads that linked Summerhill home and Himachal Pradesh College and Baluganj, together with the Kalka-Shimla railway monitor.
The particles can nonetheless be seen on the website. No plantation has been completed within the areas because the catastrophe and particles from restore of the Kalka-Shimla rail monitor has additionally been dumped right here.
MC discover towards building final 12 months
The Shimla municipal company (MC) had served a discover to the temple committee final 12 months, asking them to cease the development. The MC cited that the temple was developing in a “vulnerable” space.
“The temple committee could not furnish the planning permission for the two-storey structure which existed at the time of the tragedy in 2023. Now, a temple is coming up atop this structure without any permission,” stated an MC official, requesting to not be named. The federal government guidelines, framed publish the 2023 catastrophe, say no building is allowed inside 10 metres of rivers and nullahs.
The temple committee maintained they had been developing the brand new constructing on a platform that was a part of the previous temple, however not on the precise website.
“There was no complaint but when the issue to our notice, we sent a couple of notices to the temple committee, asking them to stop construction as the area is vulnerable to landslides. We will take action according to the law,” stated Shimla MC commissioner Bhupender Attri.