‘Godman’ illegally builds temple near sacred lake in Uttarakhand’s Bageshwar, probe ordered

The self-styled godman has been living in the temple for the last 10-12 days and bathing in the sacred lake, Devi Kund, the SP Akshay Prahlad Konde said

A self-styled godman has allegedly built an unauthorised temple in the Suderdhunga river valley close to a sacred lake originating from a glacier in Uttarakhand's Bageshwar district, angering locals who have accused him of desecrating the lake by bathing in it.

According to officials, Baba Chaitanya Akash alias Aditya Kailash managed to convince some locals to help him construct the temple in the eco-sensitive zone by telling them that he had received divine orders in a dream to build it.

The matter was referred to the police for an investigation after an application was received from the locals in this regard, Bageshwar District Magistrate Anuradha Pal told PTI on the phone on Tuesday.

The road to the spot where the temple has been built passes through difficult terrain and remains closed during monsoon, she said.

"The structure made of wood and stone is a small temple. It is illegal and built on no man's land," Superintendent of Police (SP) Akshay Prahlad Konde said.

It seems that some locals helped him build the structure after he told them that he had received divine orders to construct it in a dream. The self-styled godman has been living in the temple for the last 10-12 days and bathing in the sacred lake, Devi Kund, the SP said.

This has caused resentment among the residents of the nearby villages who feel it is an act of desecration.