BARNALA: The heavy destruction caused by cloudbursts, and flash floods is forcing devotees to find safer places. The langar (community kitchen) organized by Barnala residents at Badrinath in Uttrakhand is proving to be a boon for devotees, as well local people. The community kitchen not only is providing food but is also providing a safe haven to pilgrims to spend their nights safely, till the road network is restored. Barnala bhandara being the only community kitchen in temple town, Badrinath temple committee is also helping out the bhandara and is sending devotees for stay there.

 The langar started by the Badrinath sewa mandal, Barnalahas been helping those in need from June 1 despite the highly testing time due to unprecedented rain. Devotees and locals alike are thronging the place; the only community kitchen at the holy place; in large numbers. As the link to the nearby town Joshimath has been snapped due to landslides and washing away of roads altogether, the activists manning the langar are making ends meet with the ration supplies they have.

 The langar hall was submerged in knee-deep water on Monday morning and the volunteers had a tough time getting rid of the water the volunteers, though, kept on serving the langar against all odds even with renewed vigour. 

"Never in the last 9 years; since the time that the langar is being organized at Badrinath; have we had to face such testing times. As nature spread its fury on the sacred land we are serving the langar with much gusto and trying to feed the maximum number of people," said mandal patron pandit Shiv Kumar Gaur and President Harish Jindal. 

"The Barnala sewa mandal is doing service at this holy place by feeding and providing shelter to pilgrims", said Vipan Tiwari, who is JE for the temple committee. 

"The langar is witnessing massive rush, more than double the pilgrims than usual times and the langar will continue till the last supplies of ration are exhausted," said Rajesh Kumar from Badrinath bhandara hall, over phone. Satish Goyal and Sandeep Bansal, who have just returned from the Bhandara said, "As the place has witnessed vast destruction, we have decided to organize langar with more resources from the next year onwards, so that every help is provided to men in need, in the face of such calamities." 

Shiv Kumar said it is because of valuable help provided by philanthropists and the will of the God that food and shelter are being provided to hundreds of needy people at the lone bhandara in whole of holy town of Badrinath. 

"We were not left with much money and the hotel owners, and dharmshala wallahs were demanding hefty sums. The bhandara hall is now our abode and we are eating all our meals here," said West Bengal resident Mukund Roy from Badrinath. "We pray that more such organizations come to serve here, so that the poor people could be provided respite during harrowing times," said the troupe members accompanying Roy.