Express News Service
DEHRADUN: Tungnath temple, the third of the five Panchkedars of Uttarakhand, will be declared a national monument.
Priests of Badri Kedar Temple Committee have welcomed the government’s decision.
“The central government issued a notification on March 27, declaring the ancient temple of Tungnath as a monument of national importance,” Devraj Singh Rautela, the officer in charge of the Archaeological Survey of India, told .
Tungnath Temple is situated at an altitude of 12800 feet.
Located in Rudraprayag district, Tungnath Temple is the only ancient ‘Shivalaya’ of its kind located at the highest point above sea level in Asia. “For a long time, the Archaeological Survey of India has been trying to declare Tungnath as a national heritage, for which the Archaeological Survey of India has finally sought opinions and objections from the public on being declared a national monument”, Routela added.
Welcoming the central government’s move, the Tungnath temple’s Head Acharya Ram Prasad Maithani told , “Undoubtedly, with the adoption of Tungnath by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), its presence will definitely get a platform to propagate and spread the mythological temple on the world stage”.
Acharya Maithani also said, “Though the state government backtracked from its decision to form a Devasthanam Board in the past years, this initiative of the Archaeological Survey of India will definitely give a unique identity to the look of the Tungnath temple in the country and abroad”.
Highlighting the importance of this mythical temple situated amidst snow-capped surrounding hills, Acharya Maithani told this newspaper, “Tungnath Temple is actually associated with the Panchkedar temples which were built by the Pandavas. It is believed, “The Pandavas were advised by sage Vyasa Rishi, that their sin of killing their cousin Kauravas during the war of Mahabharata can only be forgiven if they worship Lord Shiva”. Facts also say that Lord Rama meditated on the Chandrashila peak around Tungnath.
DEHRADUN: Tungnath temple, the third of the five Panchkedars of Uttarakhand, will be declared a national monument.
Priests of Badri Kedar Temple Committee have welcomed the government’s decision.
“The central government issued a notification on March 27, declaring the ancient temple of Tungnath as a monument of national importance,” Devraj Singh Rautela, the officer in charge of the Archaeological Survey of India, told . googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
Tungnath Temple is situated at an altitude of 12800 feet.
Located in Rudraprayag district, Tungnath Temple is the only ancient ‘Shivalaya’ of its kind located at the highest point above sea level in Asia. “For a long time, the Archaeological Survey of India has been trying to declare Tungnath as a national heritage, for which the Archaeological Survey of India has finally sought opinions and objections from the public on being declared a national monument”, Routela added.
Welcoming the central government’s move, the Tungnath temple’s Head Acharya Ram Prasad Maithani told , “Undoubtedly, with the adoption of Tungnath by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), its presence will definitely get a platform to propagate and spread the mythological temple on the world stage”.
Acharya Maithani also said, “Though the state government backtracked from its decision to form a Devasthanam Board in the past years, this initiative of the Archaeological Survey of India will definitely give a unique identity to the look of the Tungnath temple in the country and abroad”.
Highlighting the importance of this mythical temple situated amidst snow-capped surrounding hills, Acharya Maithani told this newspaper, “Tungnath Temple is actually associated with the Panchkedar temples which were built by the Pandavas. It is believed, “The Pandavas were advised by sage Vyasa Rishi, that their sin of killing their cousin Kauravas during the war of Mahabharata can only be forgiven if they worship Lord Shiva”. Facts also say that Lord Rama meditated on the Chandrashila peak around Tungnath.
