Himachal Pradesh floods: Panchvaktra temple stands tall in grim reminder of Rishikesh's Shiva statue in 2013
A viral video of the Panchvaktra temple in Himachal Pradesh's Mandi district standing tall while flash floods wreak havoc on the state has people thinking of Rishikesh's famed Shiva statue and the Kedarnath temple that stood tall during the 2013 floods in Uttarakhand.
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FollowThe relentless monsoon fury in Himachal Pradesh has led to flash floods and landslides, claiming several lives over the past two days. The calamity has caused extensive damage to hydropower projects and resulted in the destruction of property worth hundreds of crores of rupees. Viral social media footage has captured the destruction caused by heavy rains. Videos show frightening landslides at Ashwani Khad in Solan and a three-storey hotel collapsing in Manali. Trucks and vehicles being swept away by gushing water in Kullu, as well as floodwaters entering Thunag town in Mandi, have also been documented.
One such video that has now gone viral is the aerial visual of the famed Panchvaktra temple of Lord Shiva in Mandi standing rock-solid even as floods ravages around it. The visual has brought back stark memories of the Kedarnath temple and iconic Shiva statue in Rishikesh that stood tall during the devastating Uttarakhand floods in 2013.Â
The Kedarnath valley, along with other parts of the state of Uttarakhand, was hit with unprecedented flash floods on June 16 and 27 in 2013, becoming the country's worst disaster since the 2004 tsunami. According to records, 6,054 people lost their lives in the devastating floods and 4,550 villages were left damaged. Although the Kedarnath Temple and the main Lord Shiva Lingam inside was not damaged, its base was inundated with water, mud and boulders from the landslide, damaging its perimeter. The temple was flooded with water resulting in several deaths due to drowning and panic-driven stampede.
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Satellite pictures after the flood indicated one new stream at Kedarnath town in 2013. The Kedarnath Temple sustained no harm. The Uttarakhand Government declared that although the temple will be temporarily closed to regular pilgrims and tourists for a year or two due to the massive damage to the infrastructure, priests will continue to perform the necessary rites. The Temple welcomed visitors back on May 4, 2014.
Sitting in the middle of the Ganges, videos and photographs of flood waters swirling around Lord Shiva statue's neck in Rishikesh had become iconic ten years ago and on Monday, visuals of Mandi's Panchvaktra temple standing tall amid the monsoon fury has become iconic of the 2023 floods that has rocked Himachal Pradesh.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has initiated an assessment of the losses, which are estimated to be between Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 crore, according to a government statement. However, the State Emergency Operation Centre has initially pegged the loss at Rs 785 crore. Widespread road closures continue to affect the state, with approximately 800 roads still inaccessible. Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus services on 1,255 routes have been suspended, leaving 576 buses stranded along different routes.
The rise in silt levels has forced most hydropower projects to suspend production. Moreover, landslides and flooding have blocked the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway, as well as the Shimla-Kinnaur Road, resulting in their closure to vehicular traffic.
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Rescue operations using ropes, harnesses, and cranes have continued throughout the night, as swollen rivers pose a threat to residential areas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has personally contacted the Chief Minister to inquire about the extent of the damages and offer all possible assistance. The Chief Minister has emphasised the urgent need to declare the situation as a national calamity and has requested a special economic package to aid in the recovery process, which is expected to take a considerable amount of time.
The Chief Minister has stressed the need for the swift restoration of roads in apple-growing regions to ensure the smooth transportation of the apple crop. He has also urged people to exercise caution and avoid venturing out in heavy rains, particularly near rivers and nullahs. The state government has released helpline numbers to aid those in distress.
Several areas in Himachal Pradesh have experienced heavy rainfall, with Nahan being the wettest place on Monday. Other areas, such as Pachhad, Dhaulakuan, Naina Devi, Dharamshala, Chouri, Rohru, Una, Solan, Dadhau, Sangraha, Rampur, Shimla, Narkanda, Sujanpur Tira, and Kasauli, have also received substantial rainfall.
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