Fire guts historical Gulmarg temple
Srinagar, June 5
The Shiv Temple located at the ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir was gutted in a devastating fire incident early Wednesday morning. Official said that fire broke out at about 3.45 am at the Shiv Temple, commonly known as Maharani Temple, at Gulmarg.
Several fire tenders from nearby fire stations were rushed to the spot to douse the flames. Despite timely action by Gulmarg fire service station and local police, the iconic temple, built mostly of wood, got damaged. The cause of fire was not immediately known.
Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took to X, stating, “Very sorry to hear about the fire in Gulmarg that seriously damaged the famous Shiv Mandir. I hope the administration quickly establishes the cause of the fire & reconstructs this place of great religious (and tourist) significance as soon as possible.”
Lt Gen Satish Dua(retd), former Corps Commander of the Chinar Corps, wrote on X, “Huge fire gutted the historic Maharani temple in Gulmarg, Kashmir, last night. Fondly recall that ‘Jai Jai Shiv Shankar’ song by Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz was shot here. I’m sure all faiths will rise to rebuild the temple together in the spirit of Kashmiriyat.”
The Maharani Temple was built by Mohini Bai Sisodhia, wife of Maharaja Hari Singh in 1915. It was popular among tourists as it has featured in several Bollywood movies, including in the hit song ‘Jai Jai Shiv Shankar’ from ‘Aap Ki Kasam’.
