DEHRADUN: Acharya Balkrishna has been embroiled in a controversy for carrying a granite idol (Dhanvantari) of about one quintal in the reserve forest area of Harshil in Uttarkashi. It is alleged that this statue was taken to meadows at a height of thousands of feet without permission.
Yoga guru Swami Ramdev's disciple Balkrishna's move to take an idol of Lord Dhanvantari in the Harshil area has caused a stir in the forest department. It is being told that the team of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) and Patanjali has gone to discover Ayurvedic medicines, including Acharya Balkrishna himself.
Swami Ramdev's spokesperson SK Tijarawala told The New Indian Express, "We are working for the Himalayas and the environment. Acharya Balkrishna has also gone there in search of herbs and whatever is appropriate in future will be decided accordingly."
As soon as the matter came to light, the Divisional Officer of Uttarkashi Forest Department D P Baluni had instructed the Gangotri (Harshil) Range Officer to take immediate care of the idol taken without permission in the meadows. Gangotri (Harshil) Range Officer Jagmohan Gangani said, "Eight forest personnel were sent to the Jhinda Meadows area to seal the idol and bring it to Tharali."
According to the forest sources, "Divisional Forest Officer D P Baluni has considered the matter extremely serious and has asked Acharya Balkrishna to end the program immediately." Gangotri National Park is a completely restricted area, no construction or establishment of an idol can be done here.
According to sources, no one had any idea that the team of Patanjali Yogpeeth, known in the Himalayan region for the conservation of herbs, wanted to carry a huge statue of Dhanvantari worth about one quintal, where even the general public is hardly allowed to enter.
