A large number of devotees thronged the Baba Baidyanath Dham temple in Jharkhand’s Deoghar on the first Monday of the holy month of Shravan, with authorities expecting around 2 lakh to 3 lakh pilgrims to visit the shrine during the day.
Officials said nearly 1.5 lakh devotees offered prayers at the temple on Sunday, prompting enhanced crowd management measures for the first Sawan Somwar.
Deoghar Sub-Divisional Officer and Temple In-charge Ravi Kumar said the administration has expanded the outer argha (offering receptacle) to facilitate devotees who are unable to join the long queues inside the temple.
“Today is the first Monday of the Shravani month. A very large number of people have arrived. Around 1.5 lakh devotees visited the temple on Sunday, and today we expect nearly 2.5 lakh people, or possibly even more, to offer holy water,” Kumar told ANI.
He said the outer argha has been extended to more than seven feet to enable devotees to offer water without waiting in the main queue. The administration has also installed expandable barricades inside and outside the temple premises to regulate the movement of pilgrims.
Kumar added that shops along the route to the Parvati Temple have been cleared to ease pedestrian movement, while a separate outer argha has been installed outside the temple to allow devotees to perform rituals without congestion. Barricades and adequate police deployment have also been arranged across the city for crowd management.
Deoghar Superintendent of Police Praveen Pushkar said comprehensive security arrangements have been put in place in view of the expected turnout.
“Today marks the first Monday of the holy month of Sawan, and we have made preparations accordingly. A crowd of approximately 2 to 3 lakh people is expected. All Quick Response Team (QRT) personnel and other security personnel have been deployed at their respective posts. Once the preliminary rituals conclude and the argha is set up, the Jalarpan (water offering) will begin,” Pushkar told ANI.
Shravan, also known as Sawan, is considered one of the holiest months in the Hindu calendar and is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva. Devotees observe fasts, perform jalabhishek, and undertake pilgrimages during the month, which began on July 30 this year and will conclude on August 28.
(With inputs from ANI)
