Himalayan shrine sustains thousands of poor peasants

July 8, 2004

Himalayan shrine sustains thousands of poor peasantsSunday July 4 2004 16:29 IST IANS

BADRINATH: The shrine of Badrinath, tucked high in the Himalayan heights, is

renowned as one of the most sacred sites for Hindus. What is less known is that

the temple that stands 3,411 metres above sea level, dedicated to god Shiva, is

the sole source of income for thousands of poor villagers who make a living by

selling shawls, cane baskets and bead necklaces. Due to heavy snowfall in

winter, the shrine is open for only six months in the year and it's only at

that time that the village springs to life, with people from foothills

scrambling in and peddling their goods to pilgrims and tourists. "We've been

coming here for generations. My father and my grandfather used to come here,

now I do. The money is important for us," said Singh Bahadur, one of scores of

palanquin bearers who carry elderly people in large cane baskets up to the

shrine, about a 15-minute steep climb from the village. More than 5,000

people gather with their wares and labour at the village every time the shrine

opens, each of them earning around Rs.10,000 during the time.The temple is

almost the sole source of income for the poor peasants, most of whose minuscule

wheat farms barely bring in any money. "This is the most promising source of

income that we have," said Bansilal, a farmer and shawl seller from Gopeshwar

town downhill.The temple is open from May to October every year. "Business is

good in the first two months. That is when the maximum tourists come. After

that the sales fall when it starts raining in June. Things start picking up

again towards August," said Bansilal.Selling everything from holy water of the

Ganges to hand-woven woollen shawls, to food and jewellery, the peasants stay

in temporary hoardings here till November."People are very generous when they

come here. They buy our wares without bargaining since it is almost like giving

an offering to

god," said Laxmibai, a bead peddler outside the temple. Over a million people

come to Badrinath every year. A dip in the shrine's springs or streams is

believed to grant eternal salvation. "It's more than making money," said

Bahadur, who travels seven days from home to come to the shrine. "You feel pure

here."

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