Dehradun/Chandigarh, July 16, 2013: A month after Himalayan Tsunami struck the hill state of Uttarakhand, 5,748 people are still missing in the state, but Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said they will not be declared dead yet.

The floods that ravaged the Char dhams of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri last month may have been a surprising incident for many but ancient sages seem to have foreseen the possibility of these shrines becoming inaccessible in the future. The sages have also made provisions for at least two of the shrines to be replicated elsewhere when the original shrines become inaccessible.

According to a belief, the shrines of Bhavishya Badri in the Garhwal Himalayas near Joshimath are prophesied as the future Badrinath and Kedarnath once the original ones are inaccessible. The recent rains and cloudburst have almost brought such a situation.

CEO of the Badri-Kedar temple committee BD Singh said that it is true that the scriptures contain references about Badrinath becoming inaccessible, denying any such prophecy about Kedarnath. Giving reference to Sanath Samhita, he said that when the arm of the Narasingha idol at Joshimath falls off and the mountains of Jay and Vijay near Vishnuprayag, the worship of Lord Vishnu will begin at Bhavishya Badri near Joshimath.

Notably, the arm of the idol of Narasingha is now as thin as hair which probably means there is still time for Bhavishya Badri to emerge as the new Badrinath.

Another shrine, the Bhavishya Kedar is also on the outskirts of Joshimath and is believed by some as the place where Lord Shiva as Kedarnath has already emerged when the original one becomes inaccessible.

A Shiva devotee who has been visiting the place since 1981, Tulsi Bisht said that the self-manifested shivalinga has been rising on its own since the past few years and has now become almost as big as the original shivalinga at Kedarnath, saying that this is a clear message that the lord wants to stay in a place that is peaceful.

Despite all the beliefs, environmentalists say that the problems that plagued the original dhams will continue here as well, adding that the Bhavishya Badri can be reached after a trek through dense forests which will a gains pose a problem as the area is fragile.

Meanwhile, Vijay Bahuguna said the process of paying monetary relief of Rs. 5 lakh each to the kin of those dead and missing in the flash floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains that struck the hill state on June 15 will commence from Tuesday. He also said the mission to trace the missing will continue.

Source: Daily Bhaskar, DT. July 16, 2013.