'Godman' builds unauthorised temple at 16k feet on Uttarakhand glacier after 'divine intervention', probe on

A self-styled godman Baba Yogi Chaitanya Akash, has built a temple on a protected glacier in Uttarakhand, India, without authorization. The temple was constructed at an altitude of 16,500 feet, raising concerns about environmental and legal violations.  

A self-styled godman identified as Baba Yogi Chaitanya Akash has secretly constructed a temple on protected government land in the ecologically fragile Sunderdhunga glacier region of Uttarakhand, allegedly following a 'divine intervention'. The unauthorized structure stands at an altitude of over 5,000 meters, raising concerns about environmental and legal violations.

A local resident, Mahendra Singh Dhami, revealed that Baba Yogi Chaitanya Akash persuaded villagers to back the temple construction by claiming that the goddess Devi Bhagwati appeared in his dreams, instructing him to build the temple at Devi Kund, a sacred site in the Sunderdhunga glacier region.

The local authorities, caught off guard by the unauthorized temple construction, have initiated an investigation and are taking swift action. A multidisciplinary team comprising officials from the forest department, police, and revenue office, led by Sub-Divisional Magistrate Anurag Arya, will soon visit the site to dismantle the encroachment and take necessary legal measures against Yogi Chaitanya.

The unauthorized temple construction has exposed significant lapses in intelligence gathering and enforcement, particularly noteworthy given the ongoing statewide crackdown on encroachments in sensitive areas.