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‘Panchmukhi shivling’ found during excavation in UP's Badaun draws crowd, police deployed at site
The five-faced shivling, made of marble, was unearthed from about six feet below the surface by a bulldozer.
A ‘panchmukhi shivling’ was found during the excavation of a pond in Uttar Pradesh's Badaun. The pond is located in Sarai Piparia village in Dataganj tehsil, reports said on Tuesday.
The ‘shivling’ drew a large crowd from the surrounding villages, with the local administration deploying police and revenue teams at the site, PTI new agency reported.
The five-faced shivling, made of marble, was unearthed from about six feet below the surface by a bulldozer.
The archaeological department will be called to assess the history and the age of the shivling, Dataganj Sub-Divisional Magistrate Dharmendra Kumar Singh said.
However, Mahant Parmatma Das Maharaj of Papad Brahmadev Mandir claimed that the shivling was about three centuries old.
Environmentalist Shipra Pathak, who was present during the excavation, said that the digging was being conducted for building a lotus pond on her 13-acre land.
Pathak, who was also associated with Narmada Bachao Abhiyan, said that the discovery of the shivling was a “divine sign”. “One doesn't need blind faith for miracles — true faith brings miracles naturally,” Pathak said.
A plant nursery – Panch Tatva Paudhshala – is also under construction on the land. Pathak plans to distribute five lakh plants every year through her foundation.
“Now that Lord Mahadev has manifested here, a grand and divine temple will be constructed at the site,” the environmentalist said.
Meanwhile, the Kanwar Yatra is underway, with chief minister Yogi Adityanath reviewing the preparations for the annual pilgrimage undertaken by devotees.
The Uttar Pradesh chief minister also visited the Dudheshwar Nath temple in Ghaziabad and formally inaugurated the Shravan Kanwar Mela. He assessed preparations for the influx of Kanwariyas and asked for detailed updates on the arrangements, district magistrate Deepak Meena said.
The CM also warned against any attempt to disrupt the Yatra. Adityanath said that it was the “responsibility" of Kanwar sangh and Shiv devotees to “expose such elements” and to inform the authorities if such incidents do occur.
