Before Nepal Floods, Goddess Bhagawati Idol Was ‘Sweating’: What Happened?

A local belief in Nepal linked a 'sweating' goddess idol to the recent flash flood, similar to beliefs surrounding Uttarakhand’s 2013 floods and Dhari Devi Temple.

As ISH News reported, Nepal was hit by a devastating flash flood on 26 August 2026 after a large collapse of ice and rock in the Himalayan region near the Nepal-China border. Scientists said the disaster was caused by the collapse of a large section of glacier and surrounding rock.

However, after the disaster, a local belief about the Palanchok Bhagawati Temple in Nepal’s Kavrepalanchok district started getting attention. Devotees said they noticed moisture on the 3-foot-tall black-stone idol of Goddess Bhagawati during prayers on 22 August. They described it as the goddess “sweating”.

According to local belief, the idol “sweating” can be a warning of a serious event. A Kshama Puja, or prayer seeking forgiveness, was performed, and the idol was bathed as part of the traditional rituals. Local reports have also claimed that similar signs were noticed before major events, including earthquakes in 1974 and 1987, and the 2001 Nepal royal palace massacre.

A similar belief is connected to the Dhari Devi Temple in Uttarakhand, India. Before the devastating floods and landslides of June 2013, the idol of Goddess Dhari Devi had been moved from its original location on 16 June for a hydroelectric project.

When the floods hit Uttarakhand on 16 and 17 June, many devotees believed the disaster happened because the goddess had been angered by the idol being moved. The idol was later placed back at a new temple above its original location.

While science explains these disasters through natural causes, such beliefs remain important to many local communities, where these goddesses are traditionally seen as protectors of the land and its people.

 

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