Mandi: Day before, jaleb taken out, Baba Bhootnath gets invite

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Mandi, March 8

On the occasion of Mahashivratri, the Mandi district administration today took out a small jaleb (Shobha yatra), and formally invited Baba Bhootnath to the international Shivratri fair, which will start here tomorrow.

Mandi DC and fair committee chairman Apoorv Devgan, along with his wife Shweta Kumar, reached the Baba Bhootnath temple and invited the deity for the Shivratri fair on behalf of deity Madho Rai.

The DC, accompanied by dignitaries, formally performed a puja at the temple. A short procession was taken out from Madho Rai Temple to Baba Bhootnath Temple with full state honours along with a police contingent, Home Guard Band and some other deities of the district.

Mandi Mayor Virender Bhatt, Sarv Devta Samaj Samiti president Shiv Pal Sharma, Additional Deputy Commissioner Rohit Rathour, Additional District Magistrate Madan Kumar, SDM Om Kant Thakur, Municipal Corporation Commissioner HS Rana, and other officials and residents of the area were present on the occasion.

Earlier, a traditional Shivratri Havan Yagya ceremony was organised in the courtyard of the Madho Rai Temple. The DC, his family and locals took part in the yagya. After this, he and the representatives of the Sarva Devta Committee offered prayers at the temple.

The administration took blessings from deity Madho Rai for the successful organisation of the Shivratri fair.

The DC and his team paid obeisance at the Mata Tarna temple and prayed to Deity Kamrunag — the chief deity of the Shivratri fair.

Wishing everyone a happy Mahashivratri, the DC said: “We are celebrating Mandi Shivratri by giving importance to the Dev culture and rich traditions of this place. In this event, there will be special emphasis on connecting the general public to deity culture and the sacred traditions associated to it.”

“The younger generation should have deeper connection with deity culture. For this, special attention has been paid to ensuring public participation in all the traditions,” he added.