<i>Devotees risk lives to visit hilltop temple</i>
Thousands of devotees climb the rundown stairs to visit the hilltop Chandranath Temple, risking their livesPhoto: Zobaer Hossain Sikder
Journey to the historic hilltop temple at Chandranath Hill in Sitakunda has become risky for the thousands of devotees as well as the visitors from home and abroad during the Chaturdashi Mela due to lack of renovation of the roads and steps to the temple. The temple popularly known as Chandranth Temple is one of the most holy places for the Hindu community where thousands of devotees and tourists from home and abroad visit during the Mela (fair) that begins at end of February or early March every year. The historic temple, nearly 1800 feet above sea level with three-kilometer zigzag hilly approach road and over 4,000 stairs, has long been in dilapidated and vulnerable condition posing risk to the devotees due to the indifference of the authorities concerned to the problem. The temple has not seen any renovation for a decade although the temple committee receives thousands of taka as donations from the devotees and the tourists. The devotees said they are to trek the long, bumpy, slim approach road and climb the rundown stairs through the hill to reach the hilltop temple, risking their lives. Different spots of the three-kilometer approach road leading to the temple are now in such a bad shape one will find it difficult to even walk smoothly ahead. Many parts of the road have caved in so dangerously that just one wrong step will toss a tourist or devotee hundreds of metres down the hill within a blink of eye. About two-third portion of the main road at the foothill, which is known as 'No-2 Pool' area, has badly damaged with multiple cracks and uneven patches. The culvert that has remained damaged for many years has not been repaired and instead the shrine authorities have placed few bamboos there to make it crossable. The 4,000 stairs are in deplorable state for long with most of them either broken or dilapidated and hence visitors require a cautious second thought before each of their footstep. Just a wrong step here too may prove fatal for them. The situation gets worsened during the Shiv Chaturdashi Mela every year when thousands of devotees and tourists from home and abroad come here. The Shiv Chaturdashi Mela takes place on the temple premises. Many of the devotees gets injured while trek through the risky road and stairs as the authorities do little or nothing to make them aware of the possible danger during the three-day fair. Sometimes loss of lives in fatal accidents also takes place. Two devotees died in a tragic accident after slipping down the hill this year. Jadunath Sen, a devotee from Banskhali, said he has been visiting the temple for last 10 years on the occasion of the fair but hasn't seen so far any renovation of the road or the stairs. Shib Prasad from Boalkhali said a large portion of the stairs could have been renovated in past years if the authorities would have any plan or initiative. They could renovate at least 30 to 40 stairs annually, he added. Shrine Committee General Secretary Sukhomoy Chakraborty refuting the allegations said the donations from devotees and tourists have been spent on partial renovation of the temple, stairs, and running the administrative work. He said Chaturdashi Mela is held at end of February or early March according to the chaturdash tithi. A Sitakunda upazila official said the government has allocated Tk 5 lakh for the infrastructure development of the temple recently and a tender has already been floted in this regard.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments