Swollen waters of the Bhagirathi following incessant overnight rains washed away a famous Shiva temple in Uttarkashi today even as the state government set September 11 as the date for resumption of regular prayers at Kedarnath temple,which were suspended after the June calamity.
Efforts were also stepped up to trace Almora SDM Ajay Arora, who fell into the Mandakini while on duty near Kedarnath, with trained PAC divers flown beyond Sonprayag in Rudraprayag district to scour the river in search for him.
The weather across Uttarakhand remained generally cloudy with a fresh spell of rain lashing Dehradun in the evening, state Disaster Management and Mitigation Centre said.
Manikarnika temple, a favourite destination for devotees during the month of 'Shravan', was swept away by the waters of Bhagirathi early today as incessant rains lashed Uttarkashi last night sending the river into spate, officials said.
However, no one was hurt as the temple was empty at the time of the incident, its priest Suresh Shastri said.
The temple was built after the 1991 earthquake in Uttarkashi which had killed a large number of people.
Regular prayers at Kedarnath shrine will be resumed on September 11 on the auspicious day of Sarwartha Siddhi Amrit Yog, official sources here said.
The decision was taken here today at a meeting held by Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna with the Rawal (head priest) of the Himalayan shrine, representatives of Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, Badri-Kedar Mandir Samiti officials and senior ministers, officials said.
The date for resumption of prayers at the shrine was decided after taking approval of the priests and religious leaders who attended the meeting, they said.
However, before prayers begin at the shrine, its premises will be purged and purified as per Vedic rituals, they said.
The decision follows completion of the clean-up exercise within the interiors of the famed temple, they said.
Though areas close to the temple bore the brunt of the natural calamity, its interiors had remained almost unharmed.
