To support the massive influx of pilgrims, the state government has put in place elaborate arrangements along the entire pilgrimage route.
Photo: IANS
Rose petals cascaded from a helicopter onto the revered Taraknath Temple and thousands of devotees below as chants of “Har Har Mahadev” echoed through the temple town, heralding the beginning of the centuries-old Shravani Mela at Tarakeswar on the first day of the Bengali month of Shravan.
The aerial floral tribute, carried out despite intermittent rain, transformed the opening day of Bengal’s largest Shiva pilgrimage into a memorable spectacle, with pilgrims calling it a historic first in the shrine’s long history.
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Many devotees folded their hands in prayer as the helicopter circled above the temple complex, showering petals on the sanctum and the surrounding premises.
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“For the first time, Baba Taraknath has received an offering of rose petals from the skies. The divine atmosphere is beyond words,” said several pilgrims, overwhelmed by the moment.
The flower shower was part of a new initiative announced by chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, who had earlier said that, weather permitting, helicopters would shower rose petals on devotees every Monday during the holy month of Shravan.
Not only showering floral petals but this year, for the first time, the newly elected state government has officially elevated the centuries-old pilgrimage to the status of a National Festival, giving the historic event a grand makeover while retaining its deep spiritual essence.
The Chief Minister inaugurated the month-long festival on July 14.
Every year, with the onset of Shravan, lakhs of saffron-clad devotees, popularly known as kanwariyas, converge on Seoraphuli’s Nimai Tirtha Ghat to collect sacred Ganges water before embarking on a barefoot pilgrimage of more than 30 kilometres to the Taraknath Temple.
To support the massive influx of pilgrims, the state government has put in place elaborate arrangements along the entire pilgrimage route.
Senior administrative officers have been deployed to supervise crowd control and traffic management, while extensive lighting has been installed from Seoraphuli to Tarakeswar, ensuring the route remains illuminated round the clock.
One of the most appreciated initiatives this year has been the laying of jute carpets across the 35-kilometre stretch from Nimai Tirtha Ghat to the temple.
The carpets are regularly sprinkled with water to keep them cool, allowing barefoot pilgrims to walk comfortably while protecting them from the scorching road surface and uneven terrain.
Rest shelters, drinking water facilities, toilets and medical kiosks staffed by doctors have been established at regular intervals to provide immediate assistance to devotees suffering from fatigue or dehydration during the arduous journey.
The Public Works Department, the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department and the Information and Cultural Affairs Department have jointly undertaken an extensive beautification drive.
The ghats have been cleaned and renovated, resting facilities upgraded and cultural programmes organised throughout the festival period.
Earlier, while announcing the new initiatives, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had said, “In other states, I have seen governments actively supporting such religious traditions. Bengal had been deprived of such support for years. This government will extend that support.”
For the lakhs of devotees who throng Tarakeswar every Shravan, the ancient pilgrimage remains an act of unwavering faith.
This year, however, that faith has been matched by a scale of celebration never witnessed before.
From the shower of rose petals from the skies to the illuminated temple town, cooled pilgrimage route and enhanced civic arrangements, the historic Shravani Mela has entered a new chapter—one where tradition and grandeur walk hand in hand in honour of Lord Taraknath.
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