Deoghar: A spiritually charged atmosphere prevailed in Deoghar on Monday, the fourth and final Somvari of the holy Shravan month, as lakhs of Kanwariyas and Shiva devotees from across India and abroad thronged Baba Baidyanath Dham to offer holy water to Lord Shiva.The entire temple town reverberated with chants of “Bol Bam” and “Har Har Mahadev” as devotees gathered in large numbers to mark the auspicious conclusion of the month-long pilgrimage.The doors of the temple were opened at 4.13 am, following which the traditional govt puja was performed. Soon after, the temple administration began allowing devotees to offer water to the deity in an uninterrupted manner.The influx of Kanwariyas had begun late on Sunday night and, by around 2 am, the queue had stretched nearly 5 km from the temple area to Nandan Pahar.As the morning progressed, the number of devotees in the queue swelled further, with long serpentine lines moving steadily towards the shrine. Officials estimated that the number of devotees could touch the 2.5 lakh mark on the last Monday of the sacred month.Despite the long wait, devotees remained disciplined, eagerly awaiting darshan of Baba Baidyanath.In view of the massive turnout, the district administration and police made elaborate security and crowd-management arrangements. Barricades were installed along the entire route to regulate the movement of Kanwariyas and ensure their safe entry into the temple.Deoghar DC Saurabh Kumar Bhuwania and SP Praveen Pushkar, who had been overseeing arrangements since Sunday night, reached the temple in the early hours to review preparations ahead of the commencement of Jalarpan by common devotees. They later inspected the Kanwariya route, queue lines and other key locations, directing magistrates and security personnel to remain vigilant throughout the day.Officials closely monitored crowd movement through CCTV cameras and drones to assess crowd density and respond promptly to any situation.Local residents also played an active role in serving Kanwariyas. Many came out of their homes to wash devotees’ feet and offer tea, fruits and drinking water. Service camps set up along the pilgrimage route witnessed a significant turnout of devotees.DC Bhuwania said, “Ensuring the safety, convenience and smooth movement of pilgrims had remained the administration’s top priority throughout the month-long Shravani Mela, which remained incident-free. The coordinated efforts of the administration, police, volunteers and local residents helped us a lot.”
