A few days before the day when 40 workers were trapped inside the Silkyara-Polgaon tunnel, a temple devoted to a local deity Baukhnaag Devta, considered the region’s guardian, was razed for the tunnel work.

Local villagers believe “the wrath of the deity is the reason for the tunnel collapse”.

“Before the project was initiated, a small temple was built near the tunnel entrance. Respecting local beliefs, former officials and workers used to offer prayers there before starting the day’s work. A few days ago, the new management removed the temple, resulting in this mishap,” a local resident of Silkyara said.

“We asked the construction company officials not to damage the temple or build another one in nearby before doing so. They ignored our warnings, thinking we’re superstitious. Parts of the tunnel had collapsed earlier but not a single worker had been harmed as religious practices were being followed,” another villager said.

“Uttarakhand is known as Devbhoomi, or land of gods. It’s a tradition to set up a small temple of a local deity before constructing any bridge, road or tunnel to seek blessings of that particular god or goddess. The construction company made a grave mistake by ignoring traditions. Another temple needs to be built. Once the deity is pleased, the operation to evacuate labourers will succeed,” Ganesh Prasad Bijalwan, a priest of Baukhnaag Devta, said.

Locals had echoed similar sentiments when the idol of Dhari Devi, believed to be the protector of Char Dham shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, was uprooted from its ancient temple in 2013. On June 16, 2013, the idol of the goddess was uprooted from its ancient temple, located near Srinagar (Garhwal), for a hydel-power project. Hours after the idol was moved, a cloudburst hit the Kedarnath valley, washing away the entire shrine town and killing thousands of people.

The issue was also raised in the Parliament in September 2013.