Ranchi: On the final Monday of the Shravan Mela, the temples in Deoghar and other Shiva temples across Jharkhand were inundated with devotees. The temple gates opened at 4:30 a.m., and the ritual of water offerings began immediately. Since the night before, the route has been echoing with the chants of Shiva devotees. Pilgrims are moving forward in lines, continuously chanting praises of Baba.
On this fifth and final Monday of the Shravan month, extensive arrangements have been made to ensure the safety of the devotees. The queues of devotees waiting for water offerings are being managed through various locations including B.Ed College, Tiwari Chowk, Jalsar Chowk, Shivram Jha Chowk, Nehru Park, Q Complex, Foot Over Bridge, and Sanskar Mandap, leading to a convenient and secure offering at the temple’s sanctum sanctorum.
In Deoghar, the sacred city, the festival of Raksha Bandhan was inaugurated after offering Rakhi to Baba Baidyanath.
Today marks the last Monday of Sawan, and the Shravan Mela will conclude. The Argha placed in the sanctum sanctorum will be removed, and devotees will be able to perform touch worship of Baba during the month of Bhadon. Approximately one lakh devotees have arrived in Deoghar to make water offerings to Baba Baidyanath on this final day. Pilgrims had been lining up since Sunday night, and the administration is on high alert.
In the Ramgarh district, adjacent to the capital Ranchi, a remarkable scene of the Kanwar Yatra was witnessed at the famous Rajrappa. Thousands of devotees embarked on the pilgrimage carrying Kanwars and performed the water abhishekam of Baba Bholenath.
In Deoghar’s Baba Baidyanath Temple, the final Monday saw a surge in devotees pouring in since Sunday night. On the 28th day of the state-sponsored Shravan Mela, 78,268 devotees performed water offerings at the Manokamna Ling.