Dehradun, Jul 28 (PTI) Former chairman of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Ajendra Ajay on Monday requested Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to take necessary steps for the conservation of the Tungnath temple.

Standing at a height of 12,073 feet above the sea level at a picturesque location in Rudraprayag district, the centuries-old Tungnath temple is the third among the Panch Kedar group of temples dedicated to Lord Shiva.

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The former BKTC chairman who met the chief minister at the secretariat also handed him a letter stating in detail why it was necessary to take steps for the conservation of the temple.

Over the last few years, micro-subsidence in the area has adversely affected the structure of the main temple, he said.

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Cracks have developed between the stones part of the temple structure through which water leaks into the sanctum sanctorum during the rainy season, he said.

It is believed that the Pandavas built the temple to please Lord Shiva as he was unhappy with them due to the Mahabharata war.

In view of the historicity of the temple and its mythological links, a detailed study of the temple complex was done by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the Geological Survey of India (GSI) and the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) during his tenure as the BKTC chairman, Ajay said.

These institutions as well as the state government had endorsed the idea of the temple's conservation, he said.

As the temple committee chairman he had also prepared a comprehensive action plan for the renovation, repair work and beautification of the Tungnath temple and the temple complex.

However, his tenure came to an end before actual work could be started on it, he said.

Tungnath temple is important not only historically but also mythologically and is also a symbol of India's glorious heritage, he said.

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