At Sodal Mela, devotees offer prayers for state’s flood relief and recovery

Devotees and political leaders from across the region paid obeisance at Sri Sidh Baba Sodal Temple during the ongoing Sodal Mela held on Saturday.

The temple was decked up for the last two days since the fair had started. Saturday was the main day of the mela and had a high footfall as the devotees had come to offer khetri (barley sown at their homes) to child deity Baba Sodal as a token of their mannat (wishes).

Chadha and Anand biradaris, associated with the temple, organised the main celebrations. Surinder Chadha, secretary of the trust, said, “Men, women and anyone who has faith in Baba Sodal keep fast. This fast will be broken after mathi or topa prepared for Baba Sodal is offered at the temple. Mathi will be the main prasad for the occasion. On the main day, no tawa roti is prepared in our houses. We can have either pooris or just fruits.” The Sodal Mela is an annual fair in Jalandhar and dates back to 1865.

The temple was kept well-illuminated in the evening. The stall owners also arrived in large numbers to put up stalls of games, rides, eatables and home decor stuff. The premises of the temple all around the mela site had been washed on Thursday after rains had left the sullage. Suction pumps were used for two days in Preet Nagar locality, in the vicinity of temple, which was inundated due to rains.

Among the dignitaries at the temple was Punjab Minister Mohinder Bhagat. He said that Baba Sodal is revered for fulfilling the wishes of thousands of devotees through his divine blessings. AAP leaders Nitin Kohli, Dinesh Dhall and Rajwinder Kaur Thiara also paid obeisance at the temple. Congress leaders, including Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi, MLA Pargat Singh and District Congress Committee chief Rajinder Beri were among those who offered prayers. The leaders said that they offered prayers for the welfare of the state which was reeling under floods.

The mela was held amidst heavy police presence where hundreds of security personnel were deputed in and around the venue. Diversions were also created through various alternate routes in view of the rush which is traditionally witnessed during the mela.