Beleswar temple in Puri district in danger due to Prachi River bank erosion
Puri: The famous Beleshwar temple in Puri district of Odisha is said to be in danger due to erosion of Prachi river. The strong water stream coming from the mouth of Keluni river is hitting the sand dunes very close to the temple. In a desperate attempt, nearby villagers have started dumping sandbags in the river to divert the river water. However, he says that this temporary dam will be washed away as soon as the rains come. Local people have appealed to the administration to immediately take strict steps to save this famous temple.
According to some researchers, Prachi river of Odisha is older than Ganga. There are many temples built in the Prachi river basin. It includes eleven (11) Madhava and twelve (12) Sambhu temples. The centuries old Beleshwar Temple is situated at the confluence of three rivers Prachi, Devi and Kadua near the mouth of the Keluni River. This temple is situated in the triangle of Keluni mouth. This pilgrimage has great importance. Devotees come here by boat during low tide and return when the river bed dries up after the tide recedes. While this is the most famous Shiv Peetha of Astaranga region, hundreds of devotees can be seen coming here on various festivals like Sankranti, Jagra and Purnima Tithi. The natural beauty here attracts tourists and devotees to come here again and again.
The view of the confluence of Prachi, Devi and Kadua rivers in the north with the ocean in the south and the ocean in the west gives this Shiva Peeth a unique image. However, danger has been seen at the mouth of Keluni River and Prachi River. The strong current of the river is cutting the sand of the temple, due to which the temple is in danger. On the other hand, the strong current coming from the Keluni estuary is eating away the sand dunes where the Beleshwar Shiva Peetha is situated. Since the temple is just a few feet away from the river, it poses a danger. Local people are worried about this.
About Rs 9 lakh has been sanctioned under the 5T initiative for the beautification of this temple. However, the temple is now on the verge of extinction due to erosion. No government or administrative help has been given so far to deal with this serious problem of river erosion and to keep the temple safe. Now the time has come to save this pilgrimage site from the currents of rivers and sea. Residents of seven villages of Korana Panchayat namely Natara, Karala, Badgola, Belang, Keutjunga, Ryderuha, Raikana etc. have started work for the security of the temple. He collected plastic bags from every house in his village, filled those bags with sand, placed them on his head and started trying to build a dam in the river to stop its flow. Hundreds of villagers have started efforts to build a dam by dropping five thousand sandbags into the river for the last five days.
According to the local people, the sea takes a terrible form at this place during the rainy days due to low pressure and on the full moon night. The high tides of the sea hit the sand very close to the temple. As a result, the sandbank erodes fatally posing a threat to the temple. Beleshwar Mahadev Temple, which has immense mythological importance, is now heading towards ruins. While the state government is carrying out various works to restore the temples, the local people have appealed for some permanent solution for the safety of the temple.
