Visitors to Pong wetland throwing caution to wind

Rajiv Mahajan

Nurpur, June 24

With the tourist season at its peak, tourists and devotees, in a large number, are arriving every day at the historical Bathu ki Ladi temples in the Pong Wetland in the lower hills of Kangra district. After paying obeisance to the deity, some visitors venture into the waters of the Pong wetland throwing caution to the wind.

Most tourists from outside the state are unaware about the depth of the water. Youngsters and children can be seen taking selfies on the wetland banks near Bathu ki Ladi temples. Many visitors risk their lives by taking to swimming in deep waters.

In the past few years, at least six tourists had reportedly drowned in the water body. Though the administration has put up a signboard cautioning the tourists against entering the wetland, they do not heed to the advice.

Fearing some untoward incident might occur, residents had sought deployment of police personnel or Home Guard jawans at the spot. The Pong wetland temple, historically known as Bathu ki Ladi, is estimated to have been built in the eighth century by the Hindu Shahi dynasty and has a Mahabharata connection. The cluster consists of a central Lord Shiva shrine and 15 smaller temples. As per folklore, the temple was built by a king, who once ruled the region. Many believe that the Pandavas tried to build the “staircase to heaven” from here.

Historical Bathu ki Ladi

The temples had submerged in the reservoir created by the Pong dam in early 1970s. Since then, these temples are 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 compensation for building a new shrine at Bainan Attarian, where idols were shifted. However, the temple structure was never relocated.

Jawali SDM Vichitra Singh said the tourists had been advised against going into deep waters.

He said they should go to the temple to pay obeisance and do not take enter the lake or take selfies while standing on the banks.