my uttarakhand news Bureau
Dehradun, 6 Mar: Dehradun was filled with devotion, faith, and reverence for Guru Ram Rai today. The new sacred 94-foot-tall holy flagpole was brought to the Darbar Sahib with great devotion and reverence. Thousands of devotees from across the country and abroad gathered in Doon city to witness this divine and historic moment. The entire Doon valley appeared immersed in the colours of faith, devotion, and reverence for the Guru.
From the early hours of Friday morning (Brahma Muhurta), Sangat devotees began arriving at Shri Guru Ram Rai Public School, Bombay Bagh. The devotees waited eagerly for this sacred moment with deep faith and devotion in their hearts. Here, the Sajjade Gaddi Nasheen of Darbar Shri Guru Ram Rai, Mahant Devendra Das, blessed the devotees.
Under the leadership of Mahant Devendra Das Ji Maharaj, Sangat devotees offered prayers at the feet of the Guru. At around 8 a.m., the devotees lifted the new sacred flagpole on their shoulders with deep reverence and devotion and began their procession towards the Darbar Sahib. As soon as the Sangat devotees carried the sacred flagpole on their shoulders, the entire atmosphere echoed with thunderous chants of “Shri Guru Ram Rai Ji Maharaj Ki Jai,” “Shri Mahant Devendra Das Ji Maharaj Ki Jai,” and “Jai Shri Jhande Ji Maharaj”.
On this occasion, Mahant Devendra Das said that the Shri Jhanda Mahotsav is a sacred fair symbolising love, harmony, brotherhood, humanity, devotion, and unwavering faith. This fair unites people of all religions, communities, and sections of society. He said that devotees from different religions and regions gather at the holy court of Guru Ram Rai to seek his blessings. Like every year, the Shri Jhande Ji fair will be celebrated this year as well with full devotion and faith.
When the procession reached the Shri Darbar Sahib premises, the joy among the devotees reached its peak. The devotees carried the sacred flagpole through THDC Chowk, past Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital, and reached Lal Pul Chowk. From there, the holy procession passed through Matawala Bagh and Saharanpur Chowk, finally reaching Shri Darbar Sahib at around 9:30 a.m. Along every route through which the devotees carried the sacred flagpole, residents of Doon stood with flowers in their hands to welcome them with devotion. Thousands of local residents had been waiting since morning to witness this divine moment. Wherever the procession passed, people bowed their heads in reverence to the Guru and showered flowers to welcome the devotees.
At several places along the route, arrangements were made by devotees for shabeel (sweet water service), cold drinking water, fruits, and other prasad langars for the devotees.
Notably, several skilled craftsmen had been working with dedication for nearly two months to prepare the new sacred flagpole. With the grand preparations for the historic Shri Jhande Ji fair underway, the arrival of devotees at Shri Darbar Sahib has been increasing steadily.
Since late Thursday evening, there has been special activity in the Shri Darbar Sahib premises. Thousands of devotees from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and other nearby states had already arrived by Thursday evening and were paying obeisance and seeking blessings at the Guru’s court.
The historic Shri Jhande Ji will be installed on 8 March, marking the formal commencement of the Shri Jhanda Mahotsav. Under the leadership of Mahant Devendra Das, the flagpole will be hoisted on 8 March.
According to Vijay Gulati, Fair Officer of the Shri Jhanda Mela Organising Committee, adequate arrangements have been made for the accommodation of devotees. Facilities have been arranged at Shri Guru Ram Rai Public School Bindal, Talab, Raja Road, Bhandari Bagh, Patel Nagar, and other major dharamshalas across Dehradun. Arrangements for around a dozen langars have also been made. Under security and health arrangements, a Mela Police Station has been established and the Mela Hospital at Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital, Patel Nagar, has also been made operational.
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