Shankaracharya demands relief package for Joshimath residents

Haridwar: Jyotish Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand has demanded a special relief package for the people of Joshimath whose life is in danger.

Alleging that the Himalayan region is being ruined systematically in the name of development, the Shankaracharya said the life of thousands of people in the border town is in danger.

"A one time relief package for the people of the town must be announced by the government," the Shankaracharya said here while on way to the Himalayan town.

Describing Joshimath as a town of immense religious and cultural significance, he said even deity Vishnu to whom Badrinath temple is dedicated is worshipped during winter in the Narsingh temple of Joshimath. "The deity may also need to be rehabilitated along with thousands of residents of the town," he told reporters here on Friday.

The Shankaracharya will visit Joshimath on Saturday.