Maintaining with UP | As floods ravage temples, will govt heed to historic knowledge?

In response to the Brihaddharma Purana (Web page 322), 4 days earlier than Janmashtami, the extent of water of the Ganga ought to be thought of as its womb, Nadi Garbha. The river flows at its peak (usually) and defines the river hall. The 2-kos kshetra (about six kilometres) throughout the river financial institution is the floodplain devoid of all sins and no exercise ought to be allowed on this circulation path, in line with the non secular textual content.

Would planners observe their very own scriptures to avert catastrophe in a state headed by a monk chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who’s passionately pursuing his dream challenge of constructing non secular circuits and corridors in Uttar Pradesh. Environmentalists really feel the CM, well-versed in scriptures, would perceive the necessity to observe historic knowledge. Whereas saying a 30,000-crore grasp plan for Mathura, CM had stated the “double-engine” authorities was dedicated to uninterrupted circulation of a clear and pure Yamuna.

Considerably, on March 21, the Nationwide Inexperienced Tribunal (NGT) whereas listening to a case on the demarcation of flood plain zone of Yamuna falling in Delhi from Wazirabad to Palla (a stretch of twenty-two km) had dominated: “The river Yamuna being tributary of Ganga, the floodplain comparable to its best circulation or with a flood frequency as soon as in 100 years, is required to be demarcated.”

The river’s fury spares none

Near the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, the Yamuna and legendary Saraswati in Prayagraj, stands the majestic Allahabad Fort, constructed by Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1583, the place one of many oldest temples of Vishnu, Patalpuri, is located. This underground temple is rarely submerged by floods.

On the opposite facet of the Sangam, there’s a well-known Hanuman temple. It’s maybe the one temple on the earth during which the idol of Hanuman is in a reclining place. The idol is 20 ft lengthy and about 8 to 10 ft beneath the floor. The idol will get partially submerged each monsoon and is totally inundated throughout the floods.

Legend describes the inundation of the idol as “the washing of Hanuman by the holy Ganga”. Therefore, devotees take into account it as auspicious. They assemble there on the primary day the water enters the temple and welcome it with chants. Nevertheless, when the temple is totally submerged and is inoperative, a smaller idol of Hanuman is positioned at a safer place for every day prayers.

Maybe, for that reason, the authorities have by no means deliberate any fortification of the temple to guard it from floods, although it was renovated earlier than the Mahakumbh early this yr.

The environmentalists, nonetheless, recommend flood safety measures for the temple and its statue because the rain sample is altering together with the depth of the floods.

Spiritual Circuits

January 22, 2025 was a big day for chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who led his staff of about 50 ministers to the Mahakumbh for a particular cupboard assembly within the Mela space. The cupboard took a holy dip on the Sangam and later a beaming chief minister introduced a number of tasks, together with the event of a non secular circuit of seven districts of Japanese UP, comprising Varanasi, Prayagraj, Jaunpur, Chandauli, Gazipur, Mirzapur and Bhadohi; 5 of them have the Ganga flowing shut by.

The chief minister stated the Mahakumbh had opened 5 religious tourism corridors particularly Prayagraj-Mirzapur-Kashi, Prayagraj-Gorakhpur, Prayagraj- Chitrakoot, Prayagraj-Lucknow-Naimisharanya and Prayagraj-Mathura-Vrindavan.

The non secular metropolis of Chitrakoot is dealing with a flood-like state of affairs with the Mandakini river damaging a number of temples on its banks. Equally, a number of temples on the banks of Yamuna in Mathura get impacted by floods. The federal government can also be engaged on the Mathura hall challenge on the traces of Kashi Vishwanath hall.

In all, the plan is to develop about 12 religious circuits within the state as non secular tourism is the newest money-spinner after the Kashi hall, Ayodhya and Mahakumbh fetched the state thousands and thousands.

What the environmentalists are saying

However, is anyone listening to the environmentalists who had raised concern over the air pollution of the Ganga-Yamuna after thousands and thousands arrived at Kumbh and left filth on the banks. The Mela space is past recognition right this moment because the Ganga and the Yamuna have inundated a big expanse of the realm, submerging the non permanent and semi- non permanent constructions that had been raised there for the Mahakumbh.

Whereas the officers imagine the initiative to develop a non secular circuit of seven districts would assist in the preservation of temples, rituals, and traditions, guaranteeing that the area’s cultural heritage remained intact amid modernisation, the environmentalists, who’ve been emphasising on inexperienced temples and blue landscapes, have a special take as they fear concerning the well being of rivers and their ecosystem.

They quote scriptures to show their level.

“Indian non secular traditions regard all rivers as sacred. The Rig Veda and different historic Veda collections lavish reward on such holy rivers because the Yamuna, the Saraswati, the Indus, and the Ganges. No ceremony, from start to loss of life, is seen by Hindus as full and excellent with out Gangajal, or water of the Ganges. Various annual Hindu non secular bathing festivals and festivals are held on the banks of the Ganges, together with Somwati Amavasya, Kartik Poornima, Shravan Poornima and Ganga Dussehra,” states the Alliance of Spiritual Consecration (ARC) and the Bhumi Challenge in its Information for Inexperienced Hindu Temples.

Considerably, main temples within the nation have began specializing in following ecological footprints to the extent doable like use of photo voltaic vitality and ban on plastic within the complicated.

Shiva Temples

Traditionally, Shiva temples had been constructed both on or close to the river financial institution for 2 causes – the affiliation of Shiva with the Ganga and the sacredness of rivers. Nevertheless, 1000’s of those small and massive temples get broken or are swept away by floods.

On August 15, an historic temple was swept away by the Sharda river. Because the river modifications its course, some Shivalingas are recovered too. In Shahjahanpur, water must be pumped out for devotees to supply their prayers in Sunasirnath temple on the banks of Gomti.

Venkatesh Dutta, professor of environmental sciences on the Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar College in Lucknow, has earned the sobriquet of riverman due to his passionate marketing campaign for treating “rivers as dwelling beings.”

“There are literally thousands of Shiva temples on the river banks, and plenty of Shivalingas have been broken or submerged in floods,” he says.

He additionally says that initially temples had been constructed on river banks and the choices additionally got here from native vegetation.

Dutta appeals for no change within the land use of the floodplains because the rivers determine their very own territory. As an alternative, pillars ought to be put as much as earmark the land of the river and its encroachment ought to be non-negotiable.

No NOCs

Thus, whereas growing non secular corridors and circuits, you will need to contain environmentalists as engineers lack each information and sensitivities concerned or they aren’t guided by ecosystems. Typically, the apply of taking an NOC from the setting division has turn into a routine train.

As Prof Dutta says, “ Saving rivers would save habitats, together with historic temples. Even improvement of the river fronts corresponding to “rejuvenation” and short-term planning had been detrimental to the well being of rivers.

That’s historic knowledge !