Hindu statues could be submerged on Dorset's Jurassic Coast
Twelve marble statues could be lowered onto the seabed on the Jurassic Coast as part of a Hindu ceremony.Dorset's Weymouth Bay has been chosen as the site for a Murti Visarjan - the ritual immersion of a deity's idol in water, signifying the cycle of creation and dissolution in Hindu traditions.The statues belong to 30-year-old Hindu temple Shree Krishna Mandir in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, which is set to be demolished.Chairman of the temple Dharam Awesti said Weymouth had been chosen as another temple in the Midlands previously carried out the ritual at the same location. If approved, the event would take place in September.
Mr Awesti explained the 12 statues, five of which are human size and weigh 800kg (176lb) each, would be taken by lorry from Leamington Spa to Weymouth.A crane would be used to lift the statues on to a barge which would take them out to sea for them to be submerged."Before the statues are lowered onto the seabed we will have a religious ceremony and bring our priest with us, Mr Awesti explained."Instead of dumping them anywhere, they have to be ceremoniously submerged in to the sea safely so we can feel comfortable that we have done our religious bit by following all of the scriptures."
Mr Awesti continued: "Life, in Hinduism, starts with water and ends in the water, even when people are cremated we celebrate with ashes in the water."The idols, which are made of marble, would not have an impact on the ecosystem of the water or the marine life, he added."When they are in the temple they are dressed in bright colours but when they are submerged they will be in their original shape and form."A Marine Management Organisation (MMO) spokesperson: "The marine licencing application for the submersion of Hindu idols in Weymouth Bay is still ongoing. "As part of the marine licensing process, the application is subject to a public consultation which will run until 22 June. "Once this is completed, we will consider responses received from stakeholders and the public before making determination."
You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
'A catastrophic scandal': Inside the tower block so dangerous residents face being kicked out at any moment
The moment we step into Willow Rise, the smell of damp is overpowering. There are water stains across the carpet and rotten wood on the doors. Around the corner, there's a hole in the wall, barely patched up with a piece of polystyrene sheet. We're meeting a resident on the 13th floor of the building in Kirkby, Merseyside - but the lifts are broken and wires hang out of the service panel. Like everyone living here, we will have to walk. The disrepair in this block is everywhere you look. It has now been deemed so unsafe by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service that they are days away from serving a rare prohibition notice on this tower and its neighbour, Beech Rise, meaning residents will have to leave with immediate effect. In total, 160 households here face instant homelessness. After climbing 13 flights of stairs, we meet Chris Penfold-Ivany. 'A catastrophic scandal' He has terminal cancer, and after chemotherapy and a liver transplant, that climb is now the only way he can get up to his flat. He tells us it's making him breathless. He can no longer get his prescriptions delivered, as the drivers won't come up all the stairs. "It's a catastrophic scandal that we have been left like this," he says. He has lived in this flat for 15 years and has watched the block slowly begin to fall apart over the last decade. He tells us that numerous complaints have achieved nothing. "I'm going to say it," he says, "this is another Grenfell in the making." 'Nobody can live like this ' A few floors down, Arunee Leerasiri opens the door to us, in floods of tears. The stress of the last few weeks has left her anxious and overwhelmed. There are boxes everywhere, bare hooks on the walls where pictures hung. She is packing up her life just three years after putting her life savings into buying this flat. Her elderly mother has come to visit, but she had to hire removal men already to take her mattress into storage as she couldn't manage without the lifts. Tonight, and until they are told they must leave, they will sleep on the floor. "I can't eat, I can't sleep," she tells us, through tears. "Sometimes, if I'm honest, I can't even think. This used to be my home, and now I look around and I don't even recognise it." "Nobody can live like this," she adds. 'Danger, 415 volts' She shows us a video she filmed just a few weeks ago, of one of the electrical risers on the ground floor. None of us can quite believe what we are seeing - water is pouring through the ceiling, directly on to fuse boxes and electrical wiring. Arunee takes us down to show us the cupboard. The water has now stopped but there are damp stains all over the floor and around the electrical equipment. The water pipes and electric boxes are just inches away from one another within the cupboard. One of the boxes, marked 'Danger, 415 volts', is rusted through. Next to it, there is a notice stuck to a resident's door telling them a leak has been identified in their flat - and as a leaseholder, they will be responsible for paying to fix it. "Tell me, how is this safe?" Arunee says. "Why is this building allowed to be open for the public, as a dwelling, with this kind of set-up?" Hidden owners and a plea to the government Merseyside Fire and Rescue tell us they have been serving enforcement notices on the building managers for years, to no avail. They have now been told there is no money for the millions of pounds worth of repairs that will be needed to bring the blocks up to a safe standard. They have mandated a 'waking watch', where teams physically patrol the buildings daily to check for fire risks, without which they will serve the prohibition notice and tell residents they must leave straight away. Knowsley Council has stepped in to pay for this temporarily - at a cost of £3,000 per day. Their deputy leader tells us, though, that the money will soon run out. Where to go? With a complex management structure and several owners, managers and agents over the years, the council says it doesn't even know who is to blame for the disrepair - or who even has the legal responsibility for maintaining the buildings. It says discussions are ongoing with central government about whether any extra help - or money - can be provided to try to fix the mess. Right now though, all the residents can do is wait. With no date to leave and no idea if anything can be done to keep the buildings open, they are spending every day fearing the call to tell them they have to go. They can only hope there will be somewhere for them if they do.
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Win a £250 Karen Millen voucher in this week's Fabulous competition
LOOKING to make a statement or step up your power dressing? Karen Millen is the place for you. Whether you're heading on a tropical holiday, on the guest list for a summer wedding or just looking to amp up your workwear wardrobe, you'll find a range of top-quality pieces that'll have you looking effortlessly stylish and feeling super-confident, whatever the occasion. From premium power suits to gorgeous floral dresses, there really is something for everyone. Plus, we've teamed up with the brand to give away a £250 voucher to two lucky winners. Enter using the form below by 11:59pm on June 21, 2025. For full terms and conditions, click here.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
My biggest challenge? Raising three young children in my 50s... TV adventurer Steve Backshall says fatherhood is harder than going up against crocodiles, sharks and hippos
He's the fearless adventurer who has wrestled with some of the world's most deadly predators, from 15ft crocodiles to killer sharks, and from venomous snakes to ferocious polar bears. But for wildlife expert Steve Backshall, it's at home where he faces his toughest challenge. The host of BBC 's Deadly 60, who is married to Olympic champion rower Helen Glover, admits that having three young children while in his 50s, is physically draining. He told The Mail on Sunday: 'I do wish I had the energy I had when I was in my 20s and 30s, to have the ability to sprint around playing football and rugby all day long with my kids, and for me to still be popping and buzzing with energy. 'But obviously I haven't and it's tough to keep going when you're 52 and you've got three kids under six. 'But I've got knowledge and experience and a whole array of things I can teach them about, help them with. 'Also I've got no choice! These are the cards that I was dealt, and I've got to make it work.' Backshall and Ms Glover, 38, have a son Logan, six, and five-year-old twins, Willow and Kit. He describes his wife as a 'mega-mum' and is proud that she was the first British female rower to go to an Olympic games after having children. Backshall, who presents a new podcast, That's Just Wild, said of his career: 'I think they are very excited by it and very proud – but also, the fact I go away a lot, they don't like at all. 'They really struggle with it. It's been hard ever since they could understand what I was doing. 'They would take me doing an office job and seeing me every day over me having this incredibly exciting job but always being away for long periods of time. Especially at the age they're at. 'Right now for this one little precious period of time in their lives all they want is to be with Mummy and Daddy.' Backshall, who took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2014, admits that he's an old fashioned father, saying: 'I do think that discipline and rules and structure are important for kids.
