Headlines
Some heart-broken Nepalese turn their backs on gods
By
By Mohit Dubey Ambi Khaireni (Nepal), May 3
Jolted by the devastating earthquake, many in the Nepalese countryside seem to have deserted their gods. Or so it seems.
For
a nation known for its rich heritage, grand temples and strong
religious roots, hundreds of small and mid-sized temples as well as
places of worship have been abandoned.
In the few places this
IANS journalist drove through or trekked to, temples along the highways
and on the outskirts of villages clearly bear the mark of being deserted
in the last few days.
Residents say these were shrines for
locals till the time the devastating 7.9 temblor struck Nepal on April
25, killing and injuring thousands and causing widespread destruction.
A
Ganesha statue in a small temple on the roadside near this village has
developed cracks. Dried vermillion and rotten flowers are the only signs
of the reverence the place commanded till not long back.
On the
highway to Kathmandu, a temple dedicated to goddess Durga is located at
Das Dunga. Relatively bigger than others, it has a verandah, small
concrete benches outside and a bust of Madan Bhandari, a popular
politician who died on this very spot after his car hurtled down in a
gorge many years ago.
The temple, area resident Sudeep Bastola
says, was built by locals as a mark of respect for the late leader. It
is now locked, with no one to look after the shrine.
On normal days, every passerby bowed here and vehicles stopped briefly praying for a safe journey.
At
Kalikhola in Chandibhayang, a Shiva statue lies abandoned. Made of
stone, the one foot something sized statue has 'sindoor' smeared on the
forehead. Dry 'peepal' leaves are strewn around.
People say this
was a well kept temple until last week. Locals used to offer small
symbolic 'trishuls' (tridents) here for prosperity and safety.
"Villagers
used to come here to offer prayers. But many have now left for safer
places. Those who have stayed back are too petrified to venture out,"
Alis Maharajan told IANS.
So have people turned their backs on
their own gods? A fellow villager told IANS: "In such times, such
behaviour is worth forgiving."
The powerful April 25 earthquake
has shaken much of Nepal, killing more than 7,000 people, injuring
thousands and displaced millions in the Hindu-majority Himalayan nation.
The
disaster also destroyed or majorly damaged numerous Hindu temples and
stupas, both in tourist havens such as Kathmandu and in rural areas.
As
of now, no one has a fair idea how many temples big and small have
suffered major damage. And when will they will be rebuilt - along with
the thousands of homes and other buildings that crashed on April 25.