Bus stand turns into car parking as authorities fail to act

People in a large number visit Payal town on important days as it is home to many deras and is probably the only place in the region where Ravana is worshipped. However, the bus stand here is mostly occupied by private vehicles.

The bus stand resembles a car parking as several vehicles are parked here in an unauthorised manner. Situated near the fruit market of the town, the bus stand is mostly occupied by private vehicles of visitors and shopkeepers. The authorities concerned have failed to take action against unauthorised parking.

A statue of Ravana that has been installed in an open ground is worshipped by many people.

Talking about the statue, Manoj Kumar, a fruit vendor in his 70s, said the statue held a lot of significance in the town. He said 30-35 years back one person started demolishing the statue and lost his three children within a span of few years.

“He realised his mistake and the statue was reconstructed. There are a few families, which worship the statue every year on important days,” said the vendor.

There are also deras of leading sants in Payal. Disciples visit these deras in large numbers. Sarban Singh, an octogenarian, said there were deras of Dhakki Sahib sant, Rara Sahib, Seora Sant, etc in the town to name a few.

Besides, Ghudani Kalan Gurdwara ‘Chola-Sahib’ in Payal also holds a lot of importance. “Guru Hargobind Singh had rescued 52 kings and princes from the captivity of Mughal ruler Jahangir by wearing a chola with 52 strings or hangings. The chola is still preserved in the gurdwara and remains major attraction for the devotees.