Uttarkashi disaster: 18 Shiva devotees from Madhya Pradesh also among those rescued

Chinyalisaur, Aug 8 (PTI) An 18-member group of Shiva devotees from Madhya Pradesh was among 250 pilgrims rescued on Friday from the disaster-hit areas of Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.

The kanwariyas from the Morena district in Madhya Pradesh were on their way to Gangotri to collect Ganga water when the disaster struck on Tuesday and authorities stopped them from going ahead.

After being sheltered at Sukki Top for the past few days, the group was brought to Chinyalisaur in the IAF's Chinook helicopter on Friday.

There was no phone connectivity at Sukki Top and their relatives back home, worried after seeing the scary videos of the devastating flashflood in Dharali, could not contact them despite trying desperately.

Hari Om (75), who was part of the group, said they left for Gangotri from Madhya Pradesh on July 28 to collect Ganga water but due to the disaster in Dharali, they were not allowed to go to Gangotri.

"Our plan was to collect Ganga water from Gangotri and offer 'jalabhishek' at the Babu Maharaj temple on August 25. However, we were not allowed to continue our journey because of the disaster," he said. A 'jalabhishek' at the Babu Maharaj temple is believed to cure people of many diseases, Hari Om said.

"There were no mobile towers on Sukki Top since August 5 when the disaster occurred. When the people at home saw the disaster in Dharali on TV, they got worried and kept calling continuously. When we called home after reaching Chinyalisaur, we came to know that all the 18 families were sitting together in the same courtyard and were trying to contact their loved ones," he said.

Asked whether he felt sad for returning home without being able to reach Gangotri, he said, "Not at all. Instead, I feel happy that due to the grace of Bholenath (Lord Shiva), the lives of 18 Shiv bhakts (devotees) were saved." After reaching Chinyalisaur, some of them could talk to their relatives who insisted that they return home after collecting Ganga water from Haridwar instead of Gangotri.

"All of us will go from here to Dehradun, and from there, after filling water in Haridwar, we will go home straight away," he said. PTI COR ALM ALM MNK MNK