Bageshwar: A self-styled godman quietly built an unauthorised temple on government land at over 5,000 meters (16,500 feet) on the Sunderdhunga glacier in Bageshwar, Uttarakhand. Baba Yogi Chaitanya Akash claimed to have received divine instructions to construct the temple at the eco-sensitive spot high up in the mountains.
Mahendra Singh Dhami, a villager, said, “The Baba convinced villagers to support the project, saying Devi Bhagwati appeared in his dreams and directed him to build the temple at Devi Kund. The kund, a sacred spot for pilgrims and locals, has practically been turned by this man into a swimming pool. He can often be seen bathing there. It is desecration. There is no doubt about that.”
Another resident, Prakash Kumar, said, “This is blasphemy. For centuries, our deities have visited the kund during the Nanda Raj Yatra every 12 years. Now, this so-called baba has misled villagers and established this temple against our traditions.”
Caught napping, the local administration has now launched an investigation into the unauthorised construction. Kapkot sub-divisional magistrate Anurag Arya said a team from the forest department, police, and revenue office will soon visit Devi Kund to remove the encroachment and take appropriate action against Yogi Chaitanya. Arya said, “I became aware of this issue only recently.”
ND Pandey, ranger, Glacier Range, added, “We have received communication about this (the mandir’s construction). A team is being dispatched to assess the situation at the location.”
The construction has also brought into focus intelligence and enforcement failures, especially when the state is conducting a large-scale anti-encroachment campaign in sensitive zones. The ease with which unauthorised individuals can operate in sensitive areas without detection has raised serious concerns among locals and officials alike.
