World's Largest Shaligram Rock Submerged Due to Heavy Rainfall

Parbat. The world's largest Shaligram rock, located at the confluence of Parbat, Syangja, and Gulmi districts, has been submerged. Due to continuous rainfall for the past two days, the water level of the Kaligandaki River and Setikhola has risen, causing the Shaligram rock to be submerged. The path leading to the rock, the nearby sattal, and the circumambulation site have also been submerged, informed Kulraj Tiwari, custodian of Shaligram Vidyashram. According to him, the Shaligram rock has been submerged due to the increased flow of the Kaligandaki. Continuous rainfall has caused a sharp rise in the water level of the Kaligandaki and Setikhola. With the rock submerged, the priests and pandits working in the area have been displaced, and devotees who come for regular worship and darshan are also deprived of visiting the Shaligram rock. Local Tilak Parajuli said that the rock's circumambulation site has been completely damaged due to the flow of Setikhola, which merges at Setibeni, and the high flow of Kaligandaki. He informed that although the rock area is submerged, there is no immediate danger to the settlement. All structures, including the sattals in the Shaligram area, along with the sacred Shaligram rock, have been submerged. Access to the rock for darshan has been restricted after the embankment and gabion net built for the rock's protection were also submerged by the water. The Setibeni market, located at the border of Parbat, Syangja, and Gulmi districts, is at risk of being submerged due to floods from the Kaligandaki 'A' Hydropower Project dam. With the rise in the flow of Kaligandaki and Setikhola, about two hundred traders and general public in the market area on the Parbat side and the market area on the Galyang Municipality-5 side of Syangja become anxious due to the fear of Setibeni market being submerged. Two years ago, in the month of Shrawan, a flood reached the market, causing one house to collapse and displacing half a dozen houses. Ward Chairman of Galyang Municipality-5, Ghanshyam Bhattarai, stated that the risk will remain until the flow of the Kaligandaki River is not changed. According to him, there is a demand to divert the flow from Gulmi and protect the Shaligram rock. Chairman of Bihadi Rural Municipality, Pravin Gurung, said that Galyang Municipality of Syangja, Bihadi Rural Municipality of Parbat, and Kaligandaki Rural Municipality of Gulmi, located near the place where the Shaligram rock is situated, should coordinate and protect the Setibeni area. The District Police Office, Parbat, has urged to take necessary security precautions due to the risk of floods and landslides in Setibeni area and various rivers and streams following continuous rainfall. Police Inspector Rajan Patel said that people have been urged to be vigilant as the risk can arise at any time.