Changing face of Churdhar

Kuldeep Chauhan

Home to several species of wild animals and pheasants, the Churdhar pilgrimage centre is fast degenerating. 

Reason: High-scale commercial activities. 

Pilgrims and nature lovers fear they will only get dust and piles of rubbish here in the near future, while they’ll come to seek blessings of Lord Shiva and Shirgul devta, the presiding lord of this land, if the construction activities including the work on the proposed road link to this wildlife sanctuary, is not stopped. 

According to the legend, the holy water at Churh temple is a gift from Lord Shiva, who is believed to have brought the water from Mansarovar lake in China-occupied Tibet, in the distant past. Thousands of pilgrims, including sadhus, take a holy dip here before the ‘darshan’ inside the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and his consort goddess Parvati every year during the summer season.

Earlier, pilgrims from Shimla, Sirmaur and Solan districts and neighbouring Uttarakhand used to visit the Shirgul temple and Churdhar peak, located at 12,000-ft, to pay obeisance to Lord Shiva and return the same day. But now, visitors prefer staying back as the local temple committee has constructed a number of sarais and toilets, thus commercialising the temple complex by running a number of shops to earn quick bucks in the name of development.

As a result, the water discharge has depleted over the years and piles of waste can be seen at the site. Nobody knows how and why the water is depleting, as there is no study available to ascertain the exact cause. Now, the water has been lifted from a stream to cater to the needs of pilgrims. 

Pilgrims blame mindless construction activity responsible for marring the natural beauty of Churdhar. It may further suffer, if the construction and commercialisation does not stop, they said.

The construction activities and high number of pilgrims staying put at this spot is creating environmental problems. “The greedy pujaris and committee members are out to commercialise the pilgrimage centre to rake up funds for self-aggrandisement in the name of development,” a pilgrim said.

The small temple built from stones and deodar wood that enshrined the life-size Shivlinga and idols of lord Shiva and Parvati has been transformed into a double-storey tin-roofed structure. 

“The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, forbids any construction activity in the area to protect its wildlife. Trekkers and pilgrims come here to enjoy nature and the road being built here will only spell doom for the wildlife and sanctity of Churdhar,” says Balbir Jhagta, a resident of Chopal.

The devta committee is setting up portable huts on the way from Nauradhar to Chur to facilitate pilgrims. But the proposed road link to Churdhar will hit the last nail in its coffin. Churdhar is being protected as the wild life sanctuary notified by the HP Forest Department in 1999 and the Forest Department should not change its status. 

The pilgrims say Churdhar offers trails and treks for trekkers. “The road will destroy the whole pilgrimage centre, including wildlife, flora and fauna as well,” cautions Leena Chauhan and Deepak Banchta, local pilgrims and devotees. 

SDM, Chopal, who was transferred recently, had said: “Churdhar temple falls in Chopal and the boundary confusion that prevailed earlier has been cleared. We have made proper managements for garbage collection to take care of the environment and are not adding more sarais now.”

Badrinath connection

• The pilgrims believe that by offering prayers to Shirgul Devta at Churdhar temple, they also offer prayers to Lord Shiva, who lives in Badrinath and Kedarnath shrines. These holy peaks can be spotted in the distant north-east from here, when the sky is clear
• When you stand at the Churdhar peak, one can also see the Gangetic basin, Sutlej River, hill stations of Shimla, Chail, Kufri, Kasauli, Chopal and Chakrata in Uttarakhand

Home to birds, animals and Gujjars too

• Churdhar offers a breath-taking view of snow-clad Himalayan ranges 
• Its lush green valleys, streams, plants and herbs provide a habitat for pheasants, musk deer, ghoral, bear, leopard and other wild animals. The wildlife habitats run for over 57 sq km area of the mountain sides of the Churdhar ridge 
• The dense deodar jungle is a major catchment area, feeding hundreds of villages from Sarahan to Nerwa and Kupvi in Shimla district and Haripurdhar to Nauradhar in Sirmaur district 
• During summer, Churdhar becomes home to several Gujjars, who visit from the plains of Uttarakhand every year. They tend their herd of buffaloes here and then go back before the onset of winter