Laxman jhula is one of the major identification of Rishikesh. It is a long iconic landmark made of iron suspension. It has also been associated with the Hinduism folk tales. Now, that the orders of closing Laxman jhula has been released, people are giving more importance to its facts related to past. It has become a new topic of discussion.So, here are a few less known but equally important facts about our own very famous Laxman Jhula:
Laxman jhula is on the river Ganges in Rishikesh near Haridwar, which is worshiped in Hindu religion.
It is situated in the Uttrakhand- the hindu pilgrimage site, 3 miles to the north east of city Rishikesh.
It works as the main linkage between the villages of Tapowan on two sides namely, Tehri Garhwal District to Pauri Garhwal District i.e. from west to east respectively.
This iron suspension bridge is 450 ft. long.
– Folk stories say that once lord Rama’s younger brother Laxman had to reach the other side of the river. So, he crossed it on the jute crops and later on at the same place this bridge was constructed. Therefore it is most commonly and worldwide famous as Laxman jhula.
- This is the bridge which was formed in the times of british i.e. 1923 to be precise.
It is said to be the first ever suspension bridge of UK which is jeepable.
Some people believe that it was formed between 1927- 1929.
We got to know that this bridge was a replacement of the old bridge which was at the height of 284 but got destroyed by the floods in 1924.
Laxman jhula was made for pedestrians only. But, within a considerable time two wheeler vehicles started using this bridge to go either way.
It was built with the expected capacity of holding a load of around 150- 200 kg for every square meters.
Bridge was found to be inclining at one side due to over load, whose main reason is said to be the vehicular movement.
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- In 2013, UK high court ordered to put a stop on vehicles to go through Laxman Jhula but orders were not enforced strictly.
- Reports say that 96 years old bridge is now in a dilapidated condition and cannot hold weight at the same rate anymore.
The bridge was surveyed by the Design Tech Structural Consultants (DTSC), and they have observed in their reports that major parts of it were in a collapsed condition and are totally failed. Therefore it was important to do so, to prevent any mishappening.
Bridges said not to be in a repairable form and so will be replaced by new one in some time. The specific time has not been revealed.
Observation says that for this much time the considerable pressure will shift to the nearby bridge conpanion, Ram Jhula, which is at a distance of 1 kilometers from Laxman Jhula. This step is also going to impact the movement of kanwariyas as well, as the kanwar yatra is about to begin soon.
- We sincerely hope the bridge is resorted again to its previous usable state at an earliest because it has been the main attraction and one of the focal points of devotion for billions of Hindu devotees all across the globe