Is ancient Lord Shiva temple Kalp Kedar lost forever in Uttarakhand floods?

In the wake of the devastating flash floods that swept through Uttarakhand's Kheer Ganga valley on August 6, fears are mounting over the fate of one of the Himalayas' most mysterious shrines — the ancient Kalp Kedar temple. Locals and devotees now wonder: Is this sacred Shiva temple lost forever?

The Kalp Kedar temple, believed to be built by the Pandavas, was buried under massive debris brought down by the sudden flood. Once partially visible with just its carved dome peeking through the earth, the temple now lies completely hidden — lost beneath mud, rocks, and broken timber.

Until last week, the temple’s dome — adorned with the fierce face of Kalabhairava — stood as the only visible sign of the centuries-old shrine. That too has now vanished, reportedly either swept away or further buried in the natural disaster.

Kalp Kedar was never a fully uncovered site. Long before this week’s tragedy, the temple had lain mostly underground, believed to have been buried by an earlier catastrophe — possibly a glacial shift in the early 1900s. The Shivling within the shrine has never been fully seen. Even during excavation attempts in the 1980s, efforts to unearth the sanctum failed, adding to the mystery and reverence surrounding the site.