Especially for those who travelled with us for the Chardham Yatra in 2024, it saddens me to share this news. The Kalpa Kedar temple, which we visited almost by chance, the temple where the Shiva Linga remains submerged in water for most of the year, has now been buried again in the recent deadly floods in Dharali village.
This was no ordinary temple. By word of mouth, it is said to be 7000 years old, a temple older than time itself. Now it has either been buried in debris or withdrawn by Shiva into Himself. Many in the village have lost their lives, and many are still missing. Let us send healing to all who have been affected.
Kalpa Kedar — the name itself tells us this temple had existed for eons. Its specialty was that you could see only the top part of the temple; the actual sanctum sanctorum lay underwater. Only once a year, the pond would be emptied, allowing people to go inside. Within, there was a naturally formed crystal Shiva Linga, worshipped for countless generations.
What made it even more mysterious was the rudraksha mala encircling the Linga. The beads had been submerged for years, yet they had not deteriorated. Even the thread tying them together remained intact. The energy there was profound and deeply purifying.
If you looked closely at the temple’s architecture, you could see it was not something from a mere 3000 years ago. Its interlocking stones, its huge slabs, spoke of an age long before, perhaps 5000 or even 7000 years. It once stood as part of a temple complex, most of which has now vanished. This one had survived… until now.
The Himalayan region, so dear to my heart, is becoming increasingly delicate as modernization and climate change take their toll. But beyond that, these times are changing fast, and the call to strengthen our spiritual practice grows stronger. The balance of our future depends on it.
Let us join together in sending our heartfelt prayers to all who have been affected by this tragedy. To the people, to the sacred land, and to the eternal spirit of Kalpa Kedar. May healing and peace flow to every being.
- Guru Shailesh