(Vanishing act: A view of…)
NEW DELHI: There was the famed continuity of Hindu tradition even amid calamity and chaos. The most revered symbol of Lord Shiva at Kedarnath, the "bhog murti", or the idol of the deity that must be fed daily in what is called its akhand puja (unbroken worship), too fell victim to the devastating flood. But its custodian, the priest Vageshling from Davanagre, Karnataka, waded through sludge and corpses to retrieve it, to ensure the rituals surrounding it remained unbroken.
"According to the religious practice at Kedarnath, the sacred idol is brought inside the main temple every morning for the 'bhog' or feeding ceremony and moved to the pujari's (priest's) quarters in the evening," said Vageshling, 33.
In a hoary tradition, this very idol shifts to Ukhimath in winter months when Kedarnath's doors close after snowfall, and is kept at Omkareshwar temple. The idol returns to Kedarnath in May every year.
The morning after the apocalyptic flashflood swept everything, Vageshling knew the bhog murti had to be recovered. He was inside the temple with 300 others who had survived and lived through the dread of hearing the deafening roar of the flood waters hitting against the temple's walls the entire night. He lived in pujari niwas but had taken shelter in temple like many others. But on Tuesday morning, Vageshling stepped out to look for the bhog murti.
"There were at least 20 bodies in and around the temple. But unfazed by the devastation, I waded through the sludge to reach the idol kept in pujari niwas adjoining the temple," said Vageshling. Then there was the other thought: where to perform the akhand puja of the bhog murti.
Outside, debris and bodies lay scattered and he knew that it was inappropriate to perform puja. Leaving everything behind, Vageshling left the temple and headed straight for Garur Chhetti, 10 km away, where he performed the first prayer of the deity in an ashram.
He then took a rescue chopper and reached Phata village from where he walked to Gupt Kashi, about 14 km from Phata, which took him several hours. "The roads were broken and I had to take the forest route to reach there by the evening of June 19. I could perform puja by the rules," he said.
On Saturday, he walked to Ukhimat, the winter abode of the deity. It's now at the Omkareshwar temple and normal prayers have started. Asked when would Kedarnath temple reopen, he said, "No prayers can be performed until the entire place is cleansed. This would take time," he said. - The Times of India
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