Shatrughn Prasad
Deoghar
The 23rd day of the State Shravani Mela 2026 witnessed a massive congregation of devotees at Deoghar’s Baba Baidyanath Temple, with the sacred town resonating with chants of “Har Har Mahadev” and “Bol Bam” from the early hours of Friday.
The doors of the sanctum sanctorum of the revered temple were opened at 4.19 am, following which devotees began offering holy water to the Jyotirlinga. Thousands of Kanwariyas, who have arrived in Deoghar from different parts of the country, were seen patiently waiting in long queues for darshan and jalabhishek.
The pilgrims proceeded towards the temple through the B.Ed College route, continuously chanting the name and glory of Baba Baidyanath. Despite the long journey and hours spent in queues, the enthusiasm among the devotees remained undiminished, with their faces reflecting faith and devotion.
With a large influx of pilgrims expected during the ongoing mela, the district administration has maintained heightened security and crowd-management arrangements. Magistrates, police personnel and security forces have been deployed at strategic locations along the route line and around the temple premises to ensure the smooth movement of devotees and prevent any untoward incident.
The administration has also made arrangements for essential facilities for the pilgrims, including drinking water points, health camps and information centres. Officials and personnel have been instructed to remain alert and extend assistance to devotees throughout the pilgrimage.
The Shravani Mela, one of the region’s biggest annual religious gatherings, continues to draw large numbers of Kanwariyas to Deoghar for offering prayers and holy water to Baba Baidyanath.
