20230718 Tamil Nadu: Fire on Sathuragiri hills, devotees shifted to halls
India Jul 18 2023 “Building” “Other bldg.”
Dead : dead 0 or unknown Burnout : 1 to 29 Injured : injured 0 or unknown
Tamil Nadu: Fire on Sathuragiri hills, devotees shifted to halls
Updated: 2023-07-18
VIRUDHNAGAR:: Forest fire raged at Sathuragiri hills in the Western Ghats as hundreds of devotees trekked atop the hillocks to worship at the Sundara Mahalingam and Santhana Mahalingam temples in view of Aadi Ammavasi. Around 3,000 devotees who were stuck there, were shifted and lodged at the halls on the temple premises, as a safety measure.
More than 15,000 devotees had trekked to the temples from early morning. Many of them returned after the worship.
Around 4pm there was a forest fire at beat No. 5 of Saptur range. According to forest officials, the region had not received adequate rainfall for the last two months and there are also huge bushes of bamboo trees. There was a heavy wind around the afternoon and the friction of bamboo trees triggered a forest fire.
As the fire quickly spread, the devotees were not allowed to trek down from the hillock. Forest and fire and rescue department from Virudhunagar district rushed uphill and shifted the devotees, around 3,000 of them to the halls on the temple premises. The devotees will be allowed to trek down the hill once the fire is under control, said forest officials.
Sundara Mmahalingam, Santhana Mahalingam and Ananthavalli Amma temples are situated on top of Sathuragiri hills inside the Srivilliputhur – Megamalai Tiger Reserve in Virudhunagar district and entry to these temples is restricted by the forest department only during the auspicious days and the festival days.
Web Source: The Times of India