The century-old Shiv temple in Gulmarg, famous for the shoot of ‘Jai Jai Shiv Shankar’ song destroyed in a mysterious fire.
In a tragic incident on Wednesday, a temple located atop a hillock in the tourist resort of Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir was gutted in a blaze, officials said here. The fire broke out at a Shiv Temple, which is also known as Rani Temple before dawn.
Police assisted by locals put out the fire but could not save the temple, they said. The cause of fire was not immediately known and is still being investigated. The temple was popular among tourists as it has featured in several Bollywood movies in the early 1980s. In fact, The hit song ‘Jai Jai Shiv Shankar’ from Aap Ki Kasam starring Rajesh Khanna, Mumtaz, Sanjeev Kumar, Rehman, Asrani and A. K. Hangal. The song featured Mumtaz and Rajesh Khanna and was sung by the legendary Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar and composed by the renowned music director duo, Kalyanji-Anand. The song became a huge hit and increased the tourist attraction to the temple.
Sad!
The historic Shiv Temple in Gulmarg has been severely damaged in a tragic fire.
Some Trivia: The historic temple had gained international fame after the iconic Bollywood song “Jai Jai Shiv Shankar” featuring Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz was filmed there. pic.twitter.com/gEx43vTYPI
— Sneha Mordani (@snehamordani) June 5, 2024
Former J&K CM Omar Abdullah meanwhile urged the administration to restore the temple. On Twitter, he wrote, “Very sorry to hear about the fire in Gulmarg that seriously damaged the famous Shiv Mandir. I hope the administration quickly establishes the cause of the fire & reconstructs this place of great religious (and tourist) significance as soon as possible.”
According to locals, the fire gained momentum due to strong winds and the location of the temple. The temple sits atop a hillock in Gulmarg. The temple was built in 1915 for the Maharani of Jammu and Kashmir and Maharaja Hari Singh’s wife Mohini Bai.
With inputs from PTI
The DNA app is now available for download on the Google Play Store. Please download the app and share your feedback with us.
