Ahmedabad: The 52-yard-long flag atop the famous Dwarkadheesh Temple, one of the holiest Hindu shrines, was burnt when it was struck by lightning on Tuesday afternoon on the Gujarat coast.
However, Lord Krishna’s idol, the temple premises, and devotees remained unaffected.
Dwarka’s Sub-Divisional Magistrate Nihar Bhataria said that the incident occurred around 2 pm on Tuesday. “The temple walls turned black, and the flag above it was completely burnt. However, temple activities resumed after some time,” he said.
The local people said it was the first time that lightning has struck any part of the temple.
The Dwarka town has been experiencing heavy rainfall since Tuesday afternoon. The meteorological department issued a downpour alert for the next couple of days, and officials have urged the people to keep off the Arabian Sea coast.
The Dwarkadheesh Temple is situated along the River Gomti, close to the Arabian Sea. It is among the four holiest Indian shrines of Lord Krishna, the other three being at Badrinath, Rameshwaram, and Jagannath Puri.
The 1200-year-old temple has a flag atop a staff, known as the Gaj Dhwaja, and is the only Indian temple to raise a flag three times a day.
The devotees wait for days to be part of flag-hoisting.
(Avya Mathur)