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Devotees throng goddess temples in Lucknow as navratras begin
Covid fears have subsided but at many places temple volunteers were seen urging devotees to wear face mask and ensure social distancing
Devotees thronged the beautifully decorated temples on the first day of the Shardiya Navratri as the festivities returned after two Covid-hit years, on Monday.
Though Covid fear has largely died out, yet, temple volunteers were seen urging devotees to take precautions by wearing mask and ensuring social distancing.
Elaborate security arrangements were also made outside temples, including prominent ones like Kali Bari, Badi Kali ji temple in Chowk, Bhuiyan Dev Temple in Chitwapur, Maa Chandrika Devi temple, Bakshi Ka Talab among many others
Maa Chandrika Devi Mela Development Committee President Akhilesh Singh Chauhan and media in-charge Nagendra Chauhan said there is a popular belief that the temple located in Kathwara village of Bakshi Ka Talab was established by Chandrakesh, son of Lord Lakshman, the younger brother of Lord Ram.
“A big fair that started around the temple venue will be there for next nine days,” Chauhan said while pointing out the effort that had gone into decorating the temple.
The Bhuiyan Devi temple at Chitwapur, too, has been brilliantly decorated. The temple committee president Surendra Jaiswal and treasurer Devendra Kumar Gupta said, “A fair that started today will be a big attraction for the remaining period of the navratras. The devotees had started queuing up outside the temple on the first day of navratra since 4 am.”
They said that arrangements have been made to control the crowd and temple volunteers were also making devotees aware of the need to follow social distancing and use face covers.
The priest of the Badi Kali ji temple at Chowk, Shaktidin Awasthi said the temple is believed to be around 2400 years old. “It is said that the temple was established by Adi Guru Shankaracharya,” Awasthi said. He said the rituals started with Shatchandi path and later 11 priests performed the yajna at the temple which was open for devotees from 4.30 am to 11:30 pm and then again from 1.30 pm till midnight.
Sunil Saini, president of the Badi Sheetla Devi Temple Committee said, “It is believed that Lavkush and Lakshman ji also stayed at the place where the temple is established.” He added that ‘Maa Sheetla Devi Temple’ at Mehndiganj near Tikait Rai Talab in Rajajipuram is also believed to be about 400-years-old and is said to have been established by banjaras, the nomadic tribe and later renovated by Raja Tikait Rai.
Kalibari temple at Ghasiyari Mandi too was beautifully decorated with flowers and lights. Gautam Bhattacharya, the chairman of the managing committee of the temple, said that the temple is around 159 years old. “Here devotees come in large numbers,” he said.
