‘Glacier baba’s’ temple built near sacred lake in Uttarakhand demolished

Uttarakhand has demolished an illegal temple built by a self-styled godman on the Sunderdhunga Glacier, near the sacred Devi Kund pond.

The unauthorised shrine at 16,500 feet had been built by Baba Yogi Chaitanya Akash. The operation, conducted by a combined team of police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and forest personnel, took two days to navigate the terrain and was completed on Saturday.

Kapkot Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Anurag Arya clarified that contrary to reports describing the structure as a temple, it was a simple one-room building constructed by Chaitanya Akash, who claimed he received divine orders to build it in a dream. “The baba has dubious antecedents. He was driven out of several places, including Dwarahat, before arriving here,” Arya told PTI.

No one was found inside the structure at the time it was being demolished, he added.

The Sunderdhunga Glacier falls under the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where any unauthorised construction is strictly prohibited.

Outrage over ‘Glacier Baba’ temple

Locals expressed outrage over Akash’s actions, particularly his use of the Devi Kund as a swimming pool, bathing in it frequently. The pond holds significant cultural and religious importance, especially during the Nanda Raja Jaat Yatra, a festival held every 12 years during which idols of deities are bathed in its waters.

Concerns about the self-styled godman’s presence grew after residents reported his activities to the district administration in July. The ‘baba’ claimed to have received divine instructions to build a temple there through a dream, despite the region being ecologically sensitive.

However, efforts to demolish the structure were delayed due to adverse weather conditions that made access to the site hazardous. The terrain is tough and going there during the peak of monsoon to raze the structure could have been risky because of heightened vulnerability of the terrain to natural disasters, Arya said.

“An attempt was made to reach the spot in July as well but the team returned without accessing it due to adverse weather conditions,” Arya explained. Finally, with conditions improving and the structure posing a threat to the eco-sensitive zone, authorities were able to proceed with the demolition.

No one was present at the site during the demolition, but the operation sends a strong message about the protection of sacred and environmentally sensitive areas in Uttarakhand.