Shravani Mela commenced on Thursday at Baba Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar, Jharkhand, with lakhs of Kanwariyas thronging the sacred town to begin their month-long pilgrimage during the holy month of Sawan.
The fair was formally inaugurated at Dumma, on the Jharkhand–Bihar border, in a traditional ceremony marked by Vedic chants. Jharkhand ministers Sudivya Kumar Sonu, Deepika Pandey Singh, and Sanjay Prasad Yadav jointly inaugurated the event.
Baba Baidyanath Dham, home to Kamna Mahadev, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, is considered one of the holiest Shaivite shrines in India. As per tradition, Kanwariyas fetch holy water from the Uttarvahini Ganga in Sultanganj, Bihar, and undertake a 108-kilometre barefoot pilgrimage to offer it at the Deoghar shrine.
This annual Kanwar yatra, one of the largest in Asia, covers 108-km route from Sultanganj to Deoghar.
This year’s pilgrimage began on Guru Purnima, adding to its spiritual significance. The roads were filled with thousands of Kanwariyas chanting “Bol Bam”, creating an electrifying and devotional atmosphere.
The Jharkhand government has estimated that 50 to 60 lakh devotees from across India and abroad are likely to attend the fair this year.
To manage the enormous footfall, the state government has made elaborate arrangements for accommodation, security, sanitation, and information dissemination. Tent cities equipped with essential amenities have been established at Kothiya and Baghmara along the Deoghar-Sultanganj route to provide rest stops for pilgrims.
Facilities such as bathing rooms, toilets, medical camps, and information centres have been set up at key locations throughout the mela zone.
For the first time, the fair has adopted a digital format, enabling devotees to access real-time updates through QR codes on their mobile phones. A dedicated chatbot service is also available to assist pilgrims with queries.
Deoghar Deputy Commissioner Naman Priyesh said that in view of the heavy influx of devotees, all VIP, VVIP, and out-of-turn darshan privileges have been suspended for the entire month of Sawan to ensure smooth crowd flow and fairness.
Additionally, touch worship of the Jyotirlinga has been restricted. Devotees are required to offer holy water through the Argha, a ritual vessel placed inside the temple for this purpose.
To further assist pilgrims, shuttle services have been launched for those arriving by bus. Holding points, clean drinking water, accommodation facilities, sanitation services, and healthcare camps are being closely monitored by authorities.
Officials, magistrates, and police personnel have been deployed across the area and instructed to carry out their responsibilities diligently, ensuring a safe and peaceful experience for all devotees.
(With inputs from IANS)