64-Year-Old Man Fulfills His Dream, Builds Shiva Temple Over 38 Years
The shrine is also called ¡°Temple in my dream¡± (the words, made of twisted metal wires, can be seen atop the temple).
Not many tourists visiting Chail would know about the Stoned Kumbh Shiv Temple, perched on top of a peak in the Himachal Pradesh hill station. It is located in a serene spot, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and isn't very famous. The temple was built single-handedly, bit by bit, by 64-year-old Satya Bhushan over the last 38 years. According to Bhushan, he had started building the structure in 1980 on his ancestral property after seeing a Shiva temple in his dream. The shrine is also called ¡°Temple in my dream¡± (the words, made of twisted metal wires, can be seen atop the temple).
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Being made of solely cement and metal wires, the temple is colourless. Be it Shiva¡¯s dreadlocks, the snakes that circle his body or even the marigold flowers used to give a decorative touch to the temple, everything is made of grey cement. The temple also has an underground cave.
¡°I dreamt of a temple in 1980 and there has been no looking back since. I had already learnt making clay sculptures and wooden carvings during my school days, and was, in fact, made fun of by my classmates for studying Arts in school. My dream gave me a platform and inspired me to make this temple. Initially, only locals knew about it.
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They came here and contributed funds. Till now, nearly Rs 15 lakh has been spent on its construction, which is still in process,¡± says Bhushan, holding a photograph, taken in 1980, of the same land where the temple now stands.
Bhushan himself put in some money for the temple and the rest came from devotees who visited it. The sexagenarian is separated from his wife and lives with his sister at a house barely 50 metres away from the temple. ¡°Whenever I see someone coming towards the temple from my window, I rush in and switch on the electricity. It makes water cascade down the Shiva idol like a fountain and hymns play on a music system that I have installed,¡± says Bhushan, adding that it was only for the electricity connections that he sought the help of a local.
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Bhushan earns his living from a small ancestral farm here, where he has grown some fruits and vegetables. Every day, he spends at least four hours at the temple, coming up with ideas for new statues and decorations. He says he never asked the government for help, but claims of building the five-feet-high statue of Atal Bihari Bajpayee at the governor¡¯s house in Himachal Pradesh, back when Suraj Bhan was the governor of the state.
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What keeps him invested in the temple even after 38 years? ¡°The smiles on people¡¯s faces when the leave the temple, and the praises they shower on me is enough to keep me going. I recently learnt that the temple can finally be located on Google, thanks to the photos uploaded by visitors on social media. This simply makes me happy,¡± says Bhushan. After all, faith will move mountains.
