Muzaffarpur: On the first Monday of Sawan, a huge crowd of Kanwariyas and local devotees gathered at Baba Garibnath Dham in Muzaffarpur. People started queuing up from 10 pm itself to perform Jalabhishek of Lord Shiva. As midnight arrived, the temple echoed with chants of ‘Har Har Mahadev’ and ‘Bam Bam Bhole’, showing the strong faith of devotees in Baba Garibnath.
Groups of Dak Kanwariyas entered the city after 11 pm. The district administration team guided them from Harisabha Chowk towards Chhoti Kalyani and then via Sahu Road and Makhan Sah Chowk to the temple. Members of Seva Dal helped many Kanwariyas who were tired or paying ‘Dand’ by supporting them to reach the temple easily for their prayers.
To handle the heavy crowd, the temple management created two routes for Kanwariyas. Head priest Pandit Vinay Pathak said that Jalabhishek from Argha started at midnight and will continue till Monday afternoon. The queue stretched from Baba Mandir to District School, and the entire Kanwar path was filled with the slogans of devotees carrying colourful kanwars on their shoulders.
For smooth entry of Kanwariyas, the boundary wall of Muzaffarpur District School was broken on Sunday. The five-foot-wide entry was made because the old path was too narrow. Inside the school grounds, Zigzag and Tent City arrangements were made with toilets, bathrooms, and stands for kanwars so that devotees do not face any problem. The district administration ensured all facilities for the thousands of Lord Shiva’s devotees visiting this holy month.
