Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The way the bawdi at Beleshwar Mahadev temple was covered had violated all engineering and construction norms, said some senior engineers associated with infrastructure development projects in the city.
Talking to Free Press the engineers said that the bawdi was covered only with thin iron rods and had been covered with concrete. It is possible that the rods got rusted over the years and could not hold the weight. Also, there was no beam or pillar in the middle of the construction to take the weight of the concrete structure over it, the engineers added.
Some locals said that they could often feel the vibrations while walking on the bawdi, but they thought nothing of it, as most did not know that there was a bawdi underneath.
Also, it was the first time that the Ram Navami hawan was organised inside the temple, while earlier the hawan used to be done outside the temple. What is more, there was a huge crowd of devotees, in fact, the largest ever according to locals that led to the collapse of the bawdi floor.
BAWDI HAD BECOME A SUICIDE SPOT
Residents said that the open bawdi had become a security issue for the locals as people used to commit suicide by jumping into it. A resident said, “There were three suicides within a short span and so we put a grill on the bawdi, but even then anti-socials used to hang out there. Then the entire bawdi was covered and later the residents got together and constructed a temple around 1981 there,” a local said. The total premises is around 25x25 feet while the bawdi floor was around 15x10 feet.
