On the Sunderdhunga glacier in Uttarakhand, a self-styled godman named Baba Yogi Chaitanya Akash is said to have erected an unauthorized shrine 5,000 meters above the ground. Local villagers voiced their ire over the encroachment, and the revenue, forest, and police departments would work together to examine the situation.
The report stated that because to unfavorable weather caused by the monsoon, the investigating team would not be able to visit the site on the ground anytime soon. Only once the monsoon season concludes will the team journey to the area.
Baba Yogi Chaitanya Akash: who is he?
The self-styled godman Baba Yogi Chaitanya Akash asserted that he had divine orders to erect a temple on the mountain. Villager Mahendra Singh Dhami informed Times of India that he persuaded the villagers to build the temple by claiming that Devi Bhagwati showed up in his dreams and gave him the go-ahead to build the temple at Devi Kund.
After constructing the temple at an ecologically sensitive spot, the self-styled godman has also turned the kund, a sacred spot for pilgrims and locals his personal swimming pool. Several residents have expressed their anger over the encroachment.
The location of the unauthorized temple holds significant relevance for locals and devotees. The kund, where Baba Yogi Chaitanya Akash is known to have taken baths regularly, is of immense significance. People visit the Kund during the Nanda Raj Yatra every twelve years. The construction of an unauthorized temple on an ecologically sensitive spot and in a place of religious importance has raised questions about the local authorities and efforts of the Uttarakhand government, which is conducting an anti-encroachment campaign in sensitive zones.
Nanda Raj Yatra
Nanda Devi Raj Yatra is a religious pilgrimage which takes place in every twelve years. It is one of the most famous cultural and religious events in Uttarakhand and is known for its extremely long distance, to be covered by the pilgrims on foot. The last Nanda Raja Yatra was held in 2014.
