SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, August 6: Deoghar Shravani Mela registered yet another feat as numbers of devotees crossed over 3 lakhs on the third Somwari (Aug 5) who offered Gangajal to the 12th Jyotirlingam.
Gate of Baba Baidyanath opened at 4.05 am
A Mela organizing committee official said that on the third Somwari, the gate of Baba Baidyanath opened at 4.05 am and it was shut down at 11.15 pm. During 19 hours, a total of 3,18,873 devotees offered Gangajal to the 12th jyotirlinga.
The official said out of 3,18,873 devotees total of 2,15,108 offered Gangajal through internal Arghya while 1,02,765 Kanwars offered through external Arghya.
2,71,140 devotees offered prayers on 2nd Somwari
Notably, Deoghar Shravani Mela’s new record of devotees’ arrival is being created every Somwari this year. On the second Somwari (July 29), a total of 2,71, 140 devotees had offered while on the first Somwari (July 22) 1,72,345 had offered.
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The significance of the 3rd Somwari was that despite the arrival of over three lakh devotees there was no unsavoury incident reported from any spot of the 105 km long Kanwar route from Bihar- Jharkhand border Dumma to Baba Baidyanath temple.
A senior resident of Shahid Nirmal Mahto Medical College Hospital (SNMMCH) Dhanbad who visits Baba Baidyanath with Kanwar every year, said that despite record arrival of devotees, he did not face problems of long queues or push and show situations.
Kanwar route is neat and clean
“The Kanwar route was neat and clean and a medical camp was set up at almost every 500 metres for health services to devotees,” said the doctor ( senior resident) who requested not to be quoted by name.
Besides ensuring the smooth movement of Kanwar on the route, the Mela organizing committee has also intensified regular testing of roadside shops to prevent adulteration in food items.
