Dehradun, 21 May 2007
There is no immediate threat to Badrinath Temple, one of the holiest Hindu temples located in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand from cracks appearing on the snow-capped Neelkanth mountain overlooking it.
A team on scientists from Geological Survey of India and Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology that visited the temple on Sunday has ruled out any danger to the shrine and the adjoining township from the cracks.
Following reports of cracks appearing on Neelkanth by some Char Dham Yatra pilgrims to the district administration, the Uttarakhand government had asked a team of experts from the two institutes to study the situation.
“Although the team was unable to conduct an aerial survey due to inclement weather, they were able to see some cracks on the mountain through their binoculars,” said Dr. PC Nawani, Director, Geological Survey of India.
He added that although the exact nature of the cracks can be determined after a proper aerial survey, there is no immediate threat of avalanches damaging the popular shrine or the Badrinath township.
“Preliminary observation suggests that due to the distance of the cracks from the temple and the condition of the slope on Neelkanth, they pose no danger to Badrinath temple and surrounding areas,” said Nawani.
Since no aerial sortie can be undertaken soon to determine the exact nature of the cracks, the team comprising Harish Bahuguna, BM Gairola, KS Bisht and Vikram Gupta is expected to return to Badrinath in future for another look.
Meanwhile, considering the importance of the issue, Geological Survey of India is planning to ask the Uttarakhand government to conduct a regular monitoring of the cracks by studying high-resolution satellite imagery.
“As it is difficult to carry out aerial surveys frequently, the exact position of the glaciers and the crevices located in them can be known by looking at satellite images at regular intervals,” said Nawani.
Located at an altitute of 3133 metres above sea level, the Badrinath Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu and built by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8 th century is one of the four prominent places of worship for Hindus.
Every year lakhs of pilgrims from within the country and abroad visit the shrine during the six months from May to November when its portals are closed for a six-month winter break. Last year 7.41 lakh devotees had visited Badrinath.
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News Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/
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