The Shiva temple at Sringirishi Dham in Lakhisarai. Picture by Amit Kumar

Sringirishi Dham (Lakhisarai), Feb. 21: From being a paradise of tourists and a favourite destination of the faithful, Sringirishi Dham has become a Maoist stronghold where even residents are sca-red to venture out after dark.

Situated off NH-80 and between Munger and Lakhisarai, Sringirishi Dham is one of the most picturesque locales in this part of the state. The mystic natural bounty of the place, which has its reference to in the Ramayana, however, does not give an inkling of the fact that it has over the years become a citadel of the Naxalites.

Deepak Singh, a resident of Asarganj in Munger, realised this yesterday when he, along with his family, went to the dham to worship Lord Shiva on the occasion of Maha Shivratri. “I was enchanted by the scenic beauty. My father asked me to go there. But despite its magnificence, we were scared of the place, as villagers told us to leave before sunset. They are scared of the Maoists,” Deepak said today.

Located 45km from the district headquarters of Lakhisarai, the place of religious significance is associated with the hermit, Sringirishi, who, legend has it, used to live here.

Ramayana has it that King Dasaratha once visited the hermit to seek his blessings for having sons. The hermit gave the king some fruits for his three queens and subsequently they gave birth to Ram, Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughan.

Villagers, however, have no idea about the time the Shiva temple, located between two intersections of the Kajra hills, was built.

A large number of tourists also come here and the primary attraction is the hot spring located near the shrine. “The people of the area believe that the continuous flow of water from the mountain is the best medicine to cure any skin ailments and gastritis,” claimed Kalicharan Koda, 50, a resident of Simratari Kodasi hamlet.

Bhikari Das, 60, and Ram Narayan, 55, are the caretakers of the temple. “Sometimes we get to interact with the devotees otherwise we mostly remain confined to this temple,” Das said.

Asked if they felt threatened by the Maoists, he said: “The men in uniform (rebels also wear uniform) are also human beings. Whenever they visit this sacred place, they behave like ordinary human beings. They never create any disturbance. So how can I claim them to be rebels?”

But villagers confirmed that the Maoists always preferred to stay in the highly inaccessible parts of the hilly terrain, as this place is connected with the neighbouring Jamui and Munger districts. “This place is an ideal training camp and meeting venue of the banned group,” a senior police officer at Lakhisarai said.

Devotees alleged that the government was ignoring the potentiality of the place around 200km east of Patna. “If you forget to carry an incense stick, you have to return either to Surajgarh or Bannu Bagicha because there is not a single shop within the 15-20km radius of Sringirishi Dham,” said Alok Kumar, a social activist.

He added that the government could easily boost tourism here, which would subsequently generate income among the poor villagers. Another officer at Lakhisarai said because of the rising rebel activities, it was not possible for the administration to promote tourism at the dham.

Besides, abject poverty, health hazards and illiteracy have become the destiny of hundreds of people living in Ghorghati, Kanimo, Sitla, Karitola, Bokra, Barmasia and Manjhi hamlets.

The primary school at Simratari Kodasi, the nearest village from Sringirishi (8km) functions only when teachers prefer to visit the school from their distant places.

“We don’t have any health facility here. We have to travel to Munger or Lakhisarai when someone falls ill. But on many occasions, we have to depend on village quacks to avoid the cost of travelling,” Punia Devi, a villager, said.