[baba balaknath ji] BABA BALAKNATH JI ((ਬਾਬਾ ਬਾਲਕ ਨਾਥ ਜੀ)बाबा बालकनाथ-

[@m@ndeep m@@h@l]

HAMIRPUR: The Dhar Sidh forest area adjacent to the world famous
Baba Balak Nath temple at Deotsidh in Hamirpur district is fast
turning into a jungle of concrete.

This temple is visited by about 50 lakh followers of Babaji every
year from within the country and without. Baba Balak Nath is the
incarnation of Lord Kartikeya, a son of Lord Shiva. There is a holy
cave at Dhar Sidh, where people offer their respects and "roats" to
Babaji, seeking his blessings.

A lot of new buildings have come up in the Dhar Sidh forest after
the Baba Balak Nath temple was taken over by a government-owned
trust in 1987. However, the increased construction activity atop the
hill by the temple trust and in the lower part of Deotsidh by local
people has endangered the temple.

The temple complex has seen many landslides atop the Babaji's cave
from the Bharat Hari temple side. Patchwork was immediately
undertaken and retaining walls were also built just adjacent to the
cave to save it from further landslides. If the construction
activity was not controlled, even a minor earthquake may play havoc
here. A huge stone recently gave way and fell into a nearby ditch
from under the foundation of a building owned by the Mahant of the
temple. Sensing danger to the building, immediate repair work was
undertaken to control the damage.

A visit to the temple complex and Deotsidh revealed that
construction atop the Dhar Sidh area had been going on unabated
these days. A five-storeyed inn is nearing completion. A huge tower
of the Department of Telecommunications and a forest rest house have
also come up speedily in the Dhar Sidh area.

Mr Devesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner-cum-Commissioner of the Temple
Trust, denied any knowledge of landslips near the temple complex. He
promised to get the matter probed. However, one of the officers
justified the ongoing construction work, saying that everything was
going on as per approved plans.

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Posted By @m@ndeep m@@h@l to baba balaknath ji at 10/03/2010 02:55:00 AM