A famous temple, known as Rani Temple (Mohineshwar Shivalaya) at ski-resort Gulmarg was gutted in a fire incident in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, officials said.
Maharani Temple is said to be the royal temple of Dogra dynasty, who ruled the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. Dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, it lies on a small hillock and can be seen from all corners of the town — Gulmarg.
An official told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that at 3:50 AM they received the emergency call, which prompted them to dispatch fire tenders, however, upon arrival a single story with GCI sheet roof was found ablaze
The fire was contained within 20 minutes, after hectic efforts from the fire and emergency department. In the incident, the roofing, interior panelling and other infrastructure suffered damage, the official said.
Meanwhile, in the incident, no injury was reported and investigation was set into motion to ascertain the cause of fire.
It’s pertinent to mention that the temple — built by the wife of Maharaja Hari Singh in 1915 — boasts a Hindu style of architecture. The historic Shiv temple came into prominence after Bollywood song Jai Jai Shiv Shankar was shot there in 1974—(KNO)