Deoghar, July 30: The commencement of the Sawan month has brought an overwhelming surge of devotion to the world-renowned Baba Baidyanath Dham in Jharkhand. A long queue of devotees dressed in saffron can be seen along the 105-kilometer Kanwar path stretching from the northern banks of the Ganges in SultanGanj, Bihar, to Deoghar, Jharkhand. The area is resonating with chants of “Bol Bam.”
The formal inauguration of the Shravan Mela took place on Wednesday at the Dumma entrance on the Bihar-Jharkhand border, accompanied by Vedic chants and special prayers. On Thursday, the doors of the Baba Baidyanath temple opened at 4 AM. Following this, the previous day’s flowers were removed from the sanctum sanctorum, and traditional purification was conducted with Kanchan water. A traditional Sardari puja was performed amidst Vedic chants for about an hour, after which the path for devotees to offer water was opened. Long lines of worshippers were already visible in the temple complex, Shivganga, Dumma entrance, and along the Kanwar path on the very first day.
According to religious beliefs, Baba Baidyanath Dham is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in the country and is unique as it houses both a Jyotirlinga and a Shakti Peeth within the same complex. Traditionally, devotees fill sacred water from the northern banks of the Ganges in SultanGanj into their Kanwars and complete a 105-kilometer pilgrimage to perform water offerings at Baba Baidyanath.
After this, the Kanwar journey is considered complete with prayers at the Basukinath Dham in the Dumka district. In light of crowd management and security, the administration has implemented several significant changes this year. Touch-based worship will be completely prohibited throughout the Shravan month. Devotees will only be able to offer water through a modern Argha system set up outside the sanctum sanctorum. The arrangements for VIP, VVIP, and out-of-turn darshan have also been suspended to ensure equal opportunities for all devotees.
On Sundays and Mondays, the quick darshan pass will not be available, while the fee for other days has been increased. For the safety and convenience of devotees, artificial intelligence (AI)-based surveillance, facial recognition cameras, and drones are being utilized for the first time. Over 11,500 police personnel, CRPF, and Jharkhand Jaguar forces have been deployed throughout the fair area. A QR code-based complaint system has also been implemented for the swift resolution of grievances.
Leave a Comment