‘Nature-worshipping’ Rung tribe halts 3-tonne shivling plan near Om Parvat in Kumaon

Dehradun/Pithoragarh: Plans to install a three-tonne shivling and a Nandi statue near Om Parvat on the Adi Kailash route in Pithoragarh district’s Vyas Valley have been shelved after members of the indigenous Rung community opposed the move, arguing that “such structures are unsuitable for the ecologically-sensitive Himalayan region”.Members of the Shree Adi Kailash Group Trust had arrived in the valley earlier this month to carry out the installation. However, the exercise was undertaken “without prior permission” from the district administration. The Rung community, which inhabits the area, objected to the proposal, saying that “large permanent structures were incompatible with the local landscape and cultural traditions”.Following the opposition, trust members withdrew the plan.

Speaking to TOI, representatives of the trust said on Monday that they had “returned with the shivling” after local residents raised objections.Prakash Singh Gunjiyal, president of the Rung Kalyan Sanstha, said the community’s religious traditions differ from mainstream idol worship. “We are an indigenous tribe of the Vyas Valley. We are nature worshippers and do not traditionally worship idols. Shiv and Nandi are not worshipped in this form here.

We worship Lingu, a naturally occurring sacred stone found in the region. Environmentally, heavy idols are also not suitable for the higher Himalayan areas,” he said.Bharat Joshi, founder of the Shree Adi Kailash Group Trust, said the organisation had previously installed a trishul and a Nandi statue near Parvati Sarovar en route to Adi Kailash. “At the time, we did not face any opposition. But since we have no intention of hurting local sentiments, we decided to withdraw and return when people expressed their objections this time, ” he said.When contacted, SDM Dharchula Ashish Joshi said the matter was primarily between the trust and the local community. “No permission was sought from the district administration or local bodies for the installation. If any proposal or request is submitted to us, we will examine it as per the rules,” he said.