A massive congregation of devotees gathered in Jharkhand’s Deoghar on Monday for the fourth and final Monday of the holy month of Shravan, with more than three lakh pilgrims expected to offer holy water at the Baba Baidyanath temple, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas.
The occasion marks the concluding phase of the 2026 Shravani Mela, with chants of “Har Har Mahadev” and “Bol Bam” reverberating across Deoghar and along the nearly 105-km Kanwariya route from Sultanganj.
Kanwariyas began arriving in large numbers from midnight on Sunday. By early Monday, the queue of devotees waiting to offer water at the shrine had stretched for more than four kilometres, reaching Kumetha.
More than 55 lakh devotees have visited the Baba Baidyanath temple during the ongoing Shravan month, while the administration expects over three lakh Kanwariyas to perform Jal Abhishek on the final Shravan Somwar.
In keeping with established tradition, the temple doors were opened at 4.13 a.m., following which priests performed the special Sardari Puja, also known as the government puja, amid the chanting of Tantric mantras and Vedic hymns. The temple was subsequently opened for general devotees.
To manage the heavy rush and ensure the smooth offering of holy water, an external Argha system has been put in place. Kanwariyas undertaking the 105-km journey on foot from Sultanganj carry sacred Ganga water, which is offered through the system and flows directly onto the Jyotirlinga.
Devotees are also participating in the traditional ritual of tying a sacred red thread between the temple spires of Baba Baidyanath and Mata Parvati on the final Monday of Shravan.
With the large gathering, strong sunlight and humid conditions, the Deoghar district administration has intensified arrangements for crowd management and security. In addition to 26 Quick Response Teams already deployed, a special QRT has been stationed at the Queue Complex and Foot Over Bridge to ensure the uninterrupted movement of devotees.
Special arrangements have also been made for drinking water and water sprinkling to provide relief to pilgrims standing in long queues.
Given the continuous inflow of devotees, the temple doors will remain open during the afternoon and Jal Abhishek will continue without interruption. The doors will be closed between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., following which special adornment and worship rituals of Baba Baidyanath will be performed.
As part of the tradition, Baba Baidyanath will be adorned with a special floral crown prepared by inmates of Deoghar Jail. Following the Maha Aarti, devotees will be able to witness the adorned deity between approximately 9 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. The temple will subsequently close for the night after the Shayan Aarti.
The final Monday of Shravan has brought the 2026 Shravani Mela to its culmination, with lakhs of devotees converging on Deoghar to seek the blessings of Baba Baidyanath.
(With IANS inputs)
