DEHRADUN: A small sand mound appeared briefly in Ganga near the Brahmakund at Har-ki-Pauri on Thursday and instantly became the centre of attraction for pilgrims on the first day of the kanwar yatra.
Some devotees reached the mound and kept statues of deities there while others formed Shivlings, hailing the appearance of the sand mound as "a sign from Lord Shiva". “I came to see the mound as many people began offering prayers and laying flowers there,” said a local resident who was present at Har-ki-Pauri on Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, officials said that the sand mound had formed in the river due to excess accumulation of silt. Speaking about the phenomena, Tanmay Vashistha, general secretary of Ganga Sabha, the body which administers the affairs of the Har-ki-Pauri ghat, said, “Silt usually flows in river water. When its quantity increases, the flow of the river is either temporarily stopped or slowed down. Due to the ongoing monsoon showers, the quantity of silt is quite high. If silt accumulates, the water level automatically decreases.”
He added, “The water level at Har-ki-Pauri also went down by three feet on Thursday morning and that's how this sand mound appeared. If silt accumulates in big quantities it can be cleared only during the annual maintenance.”
Vashistha added that the mound was formed temporarily and was washed away later in the day when the flow of the river became normal.
