When a dry hand pump near Mansa Dham temple in Jaipur pumped out water recently, the temple priest called it “spiritual magic”. The priest, Pradeep Sharma, claims that five years of constant pouring of holy water and milk on the idols resulted in increased groundwater level in and around the temple premises. However, what did the magic was a water harvesting system set up there in 2008 which routed the water and milk to the ground. This was the unique idea of city based astrologer Purushottam Gaur, 41, known to many simply as Guruji. It would eventually be implemented in 305 temples in the city and 3,000 across the country. “In 2000, I had organised a big puja. When I came out of the temple after performing it, my feet landed in puddles of water and milk. I realised it was the same liquid which we had offered to the gods. This was not only an insult to the gods, but a serious environmental problem,” Gaur says. He then spoke to residents living nearby who complained that water and milk collected near the temple, inviting mosquitoes and diseases. Gaur then started installing water harvesting systems in Jaipur’s temples. “With financial help from devotees, two separate wells for water and milk were dug in temples. Both were strategically placed. Each well hardly costs around Rs 3,000,” says Gaur. Senior BJP leader Shailendra Joshi was so impressed by this that he says, “I started going to temples with Gaur to raise awareness about water harvesting.” He adds that the state government should make it mandatory for each temple to have a water harvesting plant and give financial help for this venture. Suresh Mishra, a social activist who got associated with Gaur’s campaign, says that during the holy month of Shravan each family pours 1,000 big pots of water on the idol of Shiva as part of a ritual called Sahastragadh. “You can imagine the quantity of water that is wasted. Now, after these water harvesting systems were installed in 305 temples, over 45 million litres of water poured on the deity of Lord Shiva and other gods during Shravan (July-August) is being preserved,” says Mishra. For local residents this has been a boon. Annu Deep Thukral, who stays in Civil Lines, says that the water harvesting system installed in the Shiva temple near his house has come as a big relief. “There are no more puddles and there’s water to drink,” he says. Divine relief. DIVINE INSPIRATION: Gaur’s intervention has made more drinking water available
Posted on: Fri, 28 Jun 2013 08:53:24 +0000
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