Ranchi: Ketari Bagan in Chutia will soon turn into a religious tourism magnet, thanks to a 108-feet high temple in the form of a shivling that is almost ready.
People throng to Ketari Bagan to see the unique temple on Subernarekha banks.
The area was isolated earlier but now there are over 500 visitors every day, said a shopkeeper near the temple.
"Though the place is 3km from Bahu Bazar on Siromtoli-Kantatoli Road and used to be less frequented earlier, it's crowded now with 500-plus visitors daily who come to see the shivling temple. They take pictures and selfies and say they will tell their friends about the temple," shopkeeper R.N. Tiwary said, adding their former councillor of ward 12, Suresh Sahu, had pushed for the temple.
Sahu said the place would be developed as a religious tourist spot.
"We want to develop the place as Subernarekha Dham, as Subernarekha is considered to be the Ganges of Jharkhand and commands the same respect. The place where we are constructing this temple had a century-old small Shiv temple. When that became dilapidated, we shifted its shivling to a small temporary temple and started constructing this new one six years ago. Since then, work is on. People offer prayers to the old shivling at its temporary site of worship and are waiting for the new one," Sahu said.
He added the new temple, costing Rs 1 crore, was spread across 3,000sqft with a sanctum sanctorum of 600sqft. "The temple should be open for devotees by March. A shivling brought from Rajasthan will be established here."
Locality residents are excited. "Every year a mela is organised at Ketari Bagan beside Subernarekha on Kartik Purnima. After the new temple is ready, I expect big gatherings every day," said trader Giridhari Mahto.