Patna: The dome of the historic Jaleshwarnath Mahadev Temple in Horalpatti village of Hayaghat block in Bihar’s Darbhanga district was damaged after lightning struck the temple during heavy rain late on Saturday night. No injuries were reported, and nearly 25 devotees present at the temple escaped safely.
According to local residents, the lightning struck the temple’s spire at around 11 p.m. on June 28 amid intense rainfall and thunderstorms. The impact damaged a section of the temple’s dome and also affected the Trishul installed atop the spire.
At the time of the incident, devotees had gathered in the temple complex to receive prasad following the evening prayers. The sudden lightning strike, accompanied by a loud thunderclap, caused panic among those present.
Temple priest Shiv Shankar Giri said the sanctum had already been closed after the completion of the nightly Bhog Aarti and other rituals. Devotees were waiting outside for the distribution of prasad offered to Lord Ganesha when the heavy rain began.
He said the lightning strike was extremely powerful and caused significant damage to the upper portion of the temple, including its dome and the sacred trident fixed on the spire. Despite the severity of the incident, all devotees present at the temple remained unharmed.
The Jaleshwarnath Mahadev Temple is regarded as one of the most revered religious sites in the Mithilanchal region. It attracts thousands of devotees from different parts of Bihar as well as neighbouring Nepal, particularly during the holy month of Sawan and other major religious occasions.
The priest recalled that the temple had experienced a similar lightning strike many years ago, although he was not serving there at that time.
Following the incident, local residents and devotees have appealed to the district administration and the Disaster Management Department to undertake immediate repair and restoration work. They stressed the temple’s historical, cultural and religious importance and called for the installation of an effective lightning protection system to safeguard the shrine from similar incidents in the future.
With inputs from IANS