Chitrakoot: The water was rising, the river was in spate and officials were urging people to move to safety. But inside the flooded premises of a temple at Ramghat, a priest chose to stay back.As the swollen Mandakini River submerged parts of Chitrakoot, District Magistrate Pulkit Garg and Superintendent of Police Arun Kumar Singh reached the Bada Math temple on Tuesday and appealed to the priest to leave the premises. The two senior officials reportedly folded their hands and urged him to move to a safer place.The priest, however, refused. His answer was that he could not leave the deity behind. The emotional exchange took place as the Mandakini continued to rise after around 36 hours of heavy rain in the hilly areas. The river was flowing around five metres above the danger mark, with floodwater entering several temples, monasteries, shops and homes around the famous Ramghat area.
‘I have spent my whole life at God’s feet’
According to reports, the officials tried to persuade the priest to leave along with other members of the temple. Some people eventually moved out, but the priest remained inside.He told the officials that his entire life had been spent in the service of God and questioned how he could abandon the deity at a time when the temple itself was surrounded by floodwater. He told the officials that whatever happened would happen according to God’s will.The response left the officials with little choice. After spending considerable time trying to convince him, the administrative team returned to continue its larger rescue operation in the flood-hit area.The episode was captured on video and subsequently circulated widely on social media, bringing attention to the unusual scene from flood-hit Chitrakoot.With the Mandakini overflowing, authorities stepped up rescue and evacuation efforts in Ramghat and neighbouring areas. Teams were using boats to bring people stranded inside their homes to safer locations, while announcements through loudspeakers urged residents in vulnerable areas to move out. The National Disaster Response Force and other rescue teams were also kept active as the administration monitored the situation.As per reports, the river level later showed some decline, but continuing rain meant the danger had not completely passed.