Kangra’s ‘Staircase to heaven’ in deep waters, lacks pilgrims

Rajiv Mahajan

Nurpur, March 8

Brimming with immense potential of religious tourism, the ancient Bathu ki Ladi temple in the lower Kangra region is in a state of neglect. The cluster of ancient temples remains submerged in the Pong Lake for over eight months from July to February. The temple situated in the Pong Lake attracts a heavy rush of devotees, but has failed to attract the attention of successive governments.

The shrine is estimated to have been built in the eighth century AD by the Hindu Shahi dynasty and has a Mahabharata connection. The cluster of temples consists of a central Lord Shiva shrine and over 15 smaller ones. As per folklore, the temple was built by a king who ruled the region, while many people connect it to the Pandavas. People believe that the Pandavas tried to build the ‘staircase to heaven’ from here.

It’s an enticing sight, looking at the temple which is covered in water and only a few towering pillars can be seen. One can see Goddess Kali and Lord Ganesha’s figures carved on stones and inside the temple, Lord Vishnu’s statue resting on Sheshnag could be seen.

Bathu ki Ladi had submerged in the Pong Lake, a reservoir created by the Pong Dam in early 1970s. Since then, these temples are only accessible from March to June when the water level recedes. Since the land on which these temples are built falls under the Pong dam reservoir, the government had awarded a compensation for building a new shrine at Bainan Attarian, where idols were shifted after the construction of the dam. However, the temple structure was never relocated. The ancient structure has been abandoned both by the state government and those managing the shrine.

Successive state governments have failed to enhance the beauty of the place, which has a wide scope for tourism activities. Interestingly, even after remaining submerged for a long time, no major damage has been observed in the structure because it is made of a strong stone called “bathu”.

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