Boating in Holy Renuka Lake objected

SR Pundir writes from Nahan: Due to expiry of boating contract the boating in the Holy Renuka Lake is suspended for the past nearly three weeks. Although Renuka Development Board has put this matter to be decided in the next meeting but Panchyats, NGO’s and Saints of Renuka Ji are up in arms to stop boating in the holy lake which according to them has hurt the religious feelings of the Lakhs of devotees and cause environmental hazard.

In a press release issued here today Swami Dayanand Bharti, Mahant of Renuka Brahamchari Ashram and Chairman of Sirmour Kalyan Samiti has demanded to stop boating in the pious Renuka Lake which is worshiped as ‘Sakshat Swaroop’ of Bhagwati Renuka Ji by the Lakhs of devotees.

Praising commendable initiatives taken by the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal during his six months tenure for the betterment of the state, Mr Bharti hoped that more three decades old demand raised by the 18 Gram Panchyats of Sirmour and saints organisations to stop boating in the holy Renuka Lake would be fulfilled by him.

He said that on Renuka Tirtha no ancient temple of Bhagwati Renuka Ji exists. The Lake is worshipped as ‘Sakshat Swaroop’ of Bhagwati as per the Vedic and Puranik tradition. The boating is not only hurting the religious feeling of devotees but tourists threw wine bottles, fast food packets and mineral water bottles in the holy lake while boating which was causing an environmental hazard. He reminded that the existence of the biggest natural lake of Himachal Pradesh is in danger because heavy silting has already destroyed one fourth portion of the lake.

A number of other NGO’s including Vishwa Jagriti Manch, SIDHI and Swami Shish Pal Upadhaya, Chairman, Trimurti Natural Healing and Research Institute has also written to the Chief minister to impose a permanent ban on the boating in the holy lake. They said that during the previous congress regime their voice was not heard by the government despite a month long protest was launched against the boating.

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Posted by SR Pundir on August 2, 2008. Filed under Environment, Featured, Places. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry