Varanasi blast survivors yet to visit Sankatmochan temple

Varanasi, Mar 7 (UNI) Two ardent Lord Hanuman devotee families who lost their loved ones on this day in 2006 Sankatmochan temple blast here, are yet to gather courage to visit the Hanuman temple.

The family headed by Shiv Shankar Mishra (76) a former scribe, which lost their youngest member Shivangi (2), besides having two others, Kavita (10) and Kalawati (35) wounded in the same blast are yet to gather courage to visit the temple where they once unfailingly offered prayers every Tuesday and Saturday.

A family of photographers led by Sushil Upadhyaya, a railway employee lost their loved son Ritesh (17), while the victim's elder brother Rajesh (20) still suffers from the agony of the temple blast accentuated by the deep wounds on his left thigh which still contain remnants of March 7 blast.

''The evening when the blast took place at the Sankatmochan temple was the last day when I visited the temple which was frequented by our family every Tuesday,'' said Rajesh in a shaky voice.

He along with photographer brother Ritesh went to the 16th century temple not to offer prayers on the gory Tuesday, but to help a senior photographer Harish Bijlani also from Varanasi to video-film one of the 20-odd marriages being solemenised at the temple.

''Despite being far away from the spot where the blast took place I suffered splinter injuries on back and thigh, but Harishji and Bhai (Ritesh) lost their lives. While Harish died on the spot, Ritesh succumbed to injuries after 17 days at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Hospital,'' said Rajesh breaking into tears.

The physical wounds might well have healed up, but the family, especially Rajesh is yet to recover from the mental shock. ''I have no courage to either visit the Sankatmochan temple or video-film any event. Now I only do editing work for other video-graphers,'' said Rajesh.

His railway employee father, who is also a photographer, however, feels his son Ritesh is still alive.

''His eyes were donated to bring light into the dark lives of a three-year-old girl in Azamgarh district and an aged woman in Bihar.

Ritesh is still alive and smiling, but my eyes cannot bear the agony of Rajesh, whose hands shake while picking up the camera which once was his favourite companion, the father said.

MORE UNI