Religion and environment: water for the gods - now being conserved in temples

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http://religion.info/english/articles/article_610.shtml#.UVoCZb-lo20

Anil Sharma - Indo-Asian News Service
1 Apr 2013

An astrologer and social activist has turned the religious practice of offering water and milk in temples into a unique way of water conservation. Pandit Purushotam Gaur, known as Guruji, has developed water harvesting infrastructure in more than 300 temples in Rajasthan over the past 13 years.


Hindu devotee praying

Jaipur, 31st March (IANS) -- Gaur is harvesting the millions of gallons of water offered by devotees in Hindu temples that earlier used to literally go down the drain. Several honours, including the Maharana Mewar Award, have been conferred on Guar for his services to astrology and social activism,.

Gaur said that he had started his Jalabhishek campaign in 2000. "I used to notice that the water offered by devotees in temples is completely wasted as it goes into the drain. So, an idea to use it in recharging the increasingly depleting groundwater level struck me," the 41-year old astrologer told IANS.

He started channelling water from temples (especially Shiva temples) through several filter chambers before it drained into the ground and recharged the ground water level. As part of the project, several tanks and bore wells were constructed in each of the temple with the help of the people, Gaur added.

"At some temples it required digging 30-foot deep pits that were strategically placed so that the water from the idols was routed into them. Separate five-foot deep pits for milk offerings are also dug up in temples," Gaur said.


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