Ganga water level rises, touches Shiva idol at Parmarth Niketan

Incessant heavy rainfall has resulted in a significant rise in the water level of the Ganges, with the river water touching the famous idol of Lord Shiva at the Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh in Uttarakhand on Wednesday (August 6).

‘Shiva idol starting to sink’

According to an employee of the Ashram, Pankaj Kumar Dwivedi, the cloud burst in Uttrakashi on Tuesday led to the water level rising above the danger mark, adding that as a precautionary measure, some people were not being allowed near the river banks. He also said that all entrances to the ghats have been blocked to avoid any untoward incident.

He also said that the water level of the Ganges was rising all over Parmarth, adding that this has given rise to the prospect that the Shiva idol may get submerged.

"Right now, the water level of the Ganga is rising all over Parmarth, and even the Shiva idol is starting to sink. Yesterday's accident in Uttarkashi has caused the water level here to go well above the danger mark. We need to be very careful and help others as much as possible. It's a big tragedy,” Dwivedi told ANI.

Also Read: Uttarakhand landslide: 3 men have lucky escape after debris hits bike

Dhami briefs PM Modi

Earlier in the day, a disaster management meeting was held by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at the State Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to take stock of the situation following the cloudburst and flash flood in Uttarkashi's Dharali.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also spoken to Dhami and was briefed by him regarding the search and rescue operations. According to an official release, Dhami told the Prime Minister that the state government was engaging in the rescue operation with full preparedness. He also said that the heavy rainfall was posing a significant challenge to rescue workers in some areas, but all concerned agencies are working in coordination to provide quick assistance to the affected people.

Also Read: Uttarakhand cloudburst: 28-member Kerala tourist group trapped

Ancient Shiva temple buried

Meanwhile, the ancient Kalp Kedar temple in Uttarkashi was buried in the debris brought over by the flash flood in the Kheer Ganga river.

The ancient temple, which has already been underground for several years, with only its visible overground part, possibly due to an earlier disaster. Built in the Kature style, the architecture of the Shiva temple is similar to that of Kedarnath Dham.

The temple was discovered during an excavation in 1945. After digging several feet underground, an ancient Shiva temple was found whose structure was similar to the Kedarnath temple.

Devotees had to go down to offer prayers at the temple as it is already below the ground level, reported PTI. The report further stated that some water from the Kheer Ganga would often drift onto the 'shivling' installed in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, and a path had been created for it. There are stone carvings outside the temple.