Five lakh devotees expected to take holy dip during Kurukshetra solar eclipse mela

Deputy commissioner (DC) Shantanu Sharma said that the solar eclipse will be seen from 4:27 pm to 5:39 pm on Tuesday when devotees will reach the Brahma Sarovar, Sannihit Sarovar, Jyotisar Tirtha, Pehowa Tirtha and other sites of the district

: At least five lakh saints and devotees from across the country are expected to converge at Kurukshetra to take a holy dip at four religious sarovars during the surya grehan (solar eclipse) mela on Tuesday.

Five lakh devotees expected to take holy dip during Kurukshetra solar eclipse mela

Deputy commissioner (DC) Shantanu Sharma said that the solar eclipse will be seen from 4:27 pm to 5:39 pm on Tuesday when devotees will reach the Brahma Sarovar, Sannihit Sarovar, Jyotisar Tirtha, Pehowa Tirtha and other sites of the district.

“Shahi snan (royal bath) for the saints will take place at Yudhishthira ghat of the Brahma Sarovar. Whole Kurukshetra town has been distributed in 20 sectors. For the management and security, more than six IPS officers, HCS officers and over 3,500 police personnel will be deployed,” he said.

The DC added that 25 parking places have been designated from where 260 free e-rickshaws will ferry devotees to different areas.

Sharma on Sunday inspected arrangements for the mela, including essential commodities, health, drinking water, transport, and security. Later in the day, additional director general of police (Ambala range) Shrikant Jadhav reviewed the security arrangements with SP Surendra Singh Bhoria and other officials.

Officials said that traffic diversions have been made and a 50-bed temporary health facility has also been placed at the Lok Nayak Jay Parkash Hospital.

Thirty teams with 20 motorboats will be deployed at the four sites to ensure that no untoward incident takes place. Additionally, a 30-member team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also been positioned.

Special trains, buses

For the convenience of devotees coming from bordering districts, the Northern Railways has approved running special trains on the occasion.

Eight trains will operate to and fro from Jind, Kurukshetra, Panipat and Ambala, and halt timings of 28 trains at the Kurukshetra railway station have been increased from 2 minutes to 5 minutes on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The government has also arranged 310 special buses in the state and 145 separate buses of the Kurukshetra depot will also operate.