Behrampur, June 26, 2013: Own home is the greatest ‘dham’ on earth, said members of a family of Berhampur who returned from Uttarakhand in the wee hours of Tuesday.

The returned pilgrims were five members of K. Purushottam’s family of Khaspa street area of the city.

Mr. Purushotam, along with his wife K.Samyukta, mother K.Soudamini, eight-year-old daughter K.Anuska and four-year-old son K. Ayush left for ‘Chhota Char Dham’ yatra in Uttarakhand from Berhampur on June 4. They were part of large group of pilgrims.

The family members were happy to have returned to their home from the jaws of death in Uttarakhand due to nature’s fury.

Mr. Purushottam said they had not been able to complete the ‘yatra’ which includes visit to Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunetri.

They were unable to visit Yamunetri. When asked whether they would prefer to complete the ‘yatra’ when these destinations of pilgrimage in Uttarakhand get opened up for tourists after a few years, Mr. Balkrishna said ‘no’.

According to him, the gruesome experience they faced may never prompt him and his family to visit these places of pilgrimage again. “While fighting to survive during past few days I have realised that there is no greater place than one’s own home, which can be said to be the greatest dham,” he said.

The family was stranded at Gangotri on June 16, when rain lashed the area along with landslips. Facing much hardship they reached Rishikesh on June 24. For it they had to walk long distances and were also airlifted by defence helicopter to safe destination from where they could be carried by bus to Rishikesh. From Rishikesh they travelled to New Delhi and the Odisha government arranged for their air flight to Bhubaneswar. They were all praise for the defence personnel for the rescue operation and arrangements made by the Odisha government for their return journey.

Source: The Hindu, DT. June 26, 2013.