Pauri Garhwal: Acharya Balkrishna of Patanjali Yogpeeth has ignited a wave of curiosity across social media after claiming that an Asiatic lion was spotted in the state of Uttarakhand. According to a post shared by Balkrishna, the big cat from Gir jungle was sighted at the Herbal World Himalaya at Shri Dhanvantari Dham, located in the Pauri Garhwal district.

Balkrishna accompanied his claim with two photographs of the lion, describing the event as a phenomenon that is “beyond imagination,” but he has now deleted the social media post.

In the now-deleted post, Acharya Balkrishna said, “At our beloved place, Shri Dhanvantari Dham Herbal World in Pauri Garhwal, a strange divine miracle has occurred! The “king of the jungle” has arrived in Mala! Beyond imagination, beyond intellect and thought! The animal known as the “Gir lion”  the Asiatic Lion if seen anywhere else, would itself be astonishing. This is not imagination; it actually happened yesterday, when a “lion” was seen at our revered spiritual site, Shri Dhanvantari Dham Herbal World, Mala something that has never been reported anywhere in Uttarakhand before! It is a matter of joy and pride for us that since we began our service work there, animals such as leopards, bears and pythons have been sighted, and now even a “lion” has been seen. In Mala, there were already other animals like deer, rabbits, monkeys, langurs and various species, and now many new kinds of birds are also being observed. It is true that when you protect nature, the power of nature not only fills your life with happiness through many divine miracles, but also presents moments of curiosity, inquisitiveness and amazement.”

However, the claim has not been without controversy, as the social media update only featured two still images and has since been deleted. Consequently, doubts and scepticism have emerged regarding the validity of the sighting in a region where Asiatic lions, historically concentrated in Gujarat, are not typically found. DeshGujarat