In a first, deities to have bath at Ardh Kumbh

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, April 18

The holy dip on Chaitra Poornima on April 22 by local deities will be an added attraction of the four-month Ardh Kumbh.

From Garhwal and Kumaon divisions, deities will be brought for the first time in the history of Ardh Kumbh to Haridwar.

Till date 400 temple committees and village representatives have accepted invitation being extended by the Shri Dev Bhoomi Lok Sanskriti Virasatiya Shobha Yatra Samiti, organizing committee of the deity bath.

Talking to The Tribune, president of the samiti Mohan Singh Rawat ‘Gaonwasi’ said elaborate arrangements were being put in place to ensure the maximum participation of deities on Ardh Kumbh’s last festive bath.

The Ardh Kumbh Mela administration has allotted the Bairagi camp as the base camp to the samiti where all deities’ palanquins and insignia will arrive.

“On April 21 evening, palanquins will start arriving in royal processions at the Bairagi camp. At the Triveni ghat in Rishikesh and at various entry points of Haridwar city, palanquins procession will be given grand welcome. On April 22 in the wee hours, palanquin procession will move from the Bairagi camp towards Har-ki-Pauri for royal bath. After this, they will be put up at the Pantdeep Mela ground where pilgrims, devotees, tourists and locals can pay obeisance to these deities,” said Mohan Singh Rawat Gaonwasi, a former Forest and Panchayati Raj Minister.

The royal procession of deities will be led by religious flag of Shri Badrinath Dham followed by Akhand Jyoti, four Vedas, Puranas tableaux and then palanquins and insignia will follow.

Noted shrines whose insignia will be brought include Nanda Devi, Golu Devta, Dhari Devi, Jwalpa Devi, Kandoliya Devta, Jhalimali Devi, Danda Nagraja, Mahasu Devta, Someshwar Maha Dev, Oneshwar, Nar Singh, Nagraja, Bhadra Raj among others.

As per Shri Mahant Raghu Veer Das, chief coordinator of the Haridwar committee Tehri dynasty King Manujendra Shah, Maharani Mala Raj Laxmi Shah, ex-Chief Ministers Harish Rawat, Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, former union minister Swami Chinmayanad, Ardh Kumbh officer-in-charge SA Murugesan, Inspector General Ardh Kumbh Police Ganesh Singh Martolia, Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee, Cultural Department along with Yog Guru Swami Ramdev, Acharya Balakrishan and Vishwa Hindu Parishad office-bearers Dinesh and Rajendra Pankaj will welcome the deities in Haridwar.

Renowned folk singer Basanti Devi Bisht, Jitendra Kumar, Anil Bisht among other singers will give their presentation on April 21 evening at the Bairagi camp with special folk instruments ‘dhol-damau’ and ‘mushaqbeen’ being the major attraction of the royal procession.