Cleanliness, a major disappointment for tourists at Vashisht Temple in Kullu

Kullus 5,000-year-old Vashisht Temple is today visited by a large number of people from different parts of the country and abroad. The temple has a bathing Kund, which is believed to have healing properties in its water.

By Rajiv Kimta

Kullu, July 29 : Kullu's 5,000-year-old Vashisht Temple is today visited by a large number of people from different parts of the country and abroad. The temple has a bathing Kund, which is believed to have healing properties in its water.

Visitors to this ancient temple, take a bath at the famous Kund in the hope of getting treated for their various ailments. The huge number of people taking bath at the Kund has polluted the water and the surrounding place.

Tourists and devotees visiting here say that it urgently requires routine cleaning. The cleaning has reportedly not been done for a long time now, leaving the water of the holy Kund too polluted to take a bath and proves a big let down for tourists.

Left with no alternative, the believers coming here travelling hundreds of miles have to bathe in the polluted water full of filth.

Niket, a foreign tourist, said: "I found this water perfect for myself and feeling quite relaxed after a dip. But the government should take more care of the Kund, as the water is polluted."

For believers, it is a revered place and thus needs more attention from the local government over Kund's management.

V.P.Singh, another tourist, said: "The base of this water is good, but the management which is looking after it should pay a serious attention on its cleanliness. It is already polluted and is likely to be more polluted with a rising number of tourists here."

Priests at the temple blame an ever-increasing number of tourists for the polluted water of the Kund and carelessness of the local authorities.

"Earlier, there was just one Kund. Today, third Kund has been prepared to handle the rush. Taps have been fixed to keep the Kund clean. Even the instructions have been also written not to use the soap, shampoo and oil in the kund," said temple priest Desh Raj.

It is said that Muni Vashisht (the monk) had developed the Kund by his supernatural powers at the temple. Renovation was done about 1,800 years ago.

ANI