Heavy rain in Dehradun on Monday night caused the Tamsa river to overflow and flood the Tapkeshwar Mahadev temple, one of the city’s most famous shrines. Water entered the temple courtyard and even reached the Hanuman statue, though the sanctum sanctorum remained safe.
Temple priest Acharya Bipin Joshi said the river began rising around 5 am, submerging the entire temple premises.
“The river started flowing heavily since 5 am, the entire temple premises were submerged... This kind of situation had not taken place in a very long time... Losses have been incurred at various places... People should avoid going near rivers at this time... The sanctum sanctorum of the temple is safe... No human loss has been reported as of now,” he said.
Locals shared how the water surged into the cave temple. A local said the water level rose to 10–12 feet, reaching above the Shivling. “Around 4:45 am, the water entered the cave... Later, when the water level started increasing, it rose to 10-12ft... The water reached above the 'Shivling'... Somehow, we made our way, and with the help of the rope, we came up,” he said.
Another resident added that the temple suffered a heavy damage because of the strong flow of water.
Another resident said, "Due to the strong flow of water, a lot of logs came floating, due to which the temple has faced a lot of damage... In this situation, everyone should stay away from the river."
Meanwhile, Rishikesh also faced the impact of heavy rain. The Chandrabhaga river rose above normal levels and flooded parts of the highway. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) rescued three people stranded in the river, though many vehicles are still stuck in water. Authorities have urged people to stay alert and avoid going near swollen rivers and streams.
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