By IANS
Deoghar (Jharkhand) : Hundreds of thousands of Hindus have started arriving here after trekking 110 km to worship at an ancient Shiva temple as part of an annual pilgrimage that attracts over three million people.
The mass of humanity includes pilgrims from various parts of the country, Bhutan and Nepal besides people from the vast Indian diaspora. At the center of attraction is the Baba Baidyanath temple, which forms the lifeline of Deoghar town.
The auspicious month-long Shravani Mela, as the pilgrimage is called, began Monday with worshippers walking all the way from Bihar's Sultanganj town, the only place where the Ganga flows northwards before turning east again.
The Baidyanath temple, also known as Ravaneshwar Mahadeo temple after the legend that the Shiva Linga was brought there by the demon king Ravana, has been spruced up for the annual rush.
"Legend has it that Ravana was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. He urged Shiva to travel with him to his kingdom Lanka so that it would be easy for him to pray to him. Ravana travelled all the way from Lanka to Kailash to bring the Lord," explained Parmeshwar Panda, who belongs to the family of temple head priests.
"Shiva reluctantly agreed to go with Ravana. When Ravana was passing through Deoghar, then a forest area, he felt an urge to answer nature's call. Lord Vishnu appeared before him in the guise of a goatherd.
"Ravana gave the Shiva Linga to the goatherd before going to relieve himself. The goatherd put the Linga down on the ground saying it was too heavy for him to hold.
"Lord Shiva had stated that the Shiva Linga would stay put on the ground where it is first placed. The temple at Deoghar was thus established.
"An angry Ravana, realizing the Shiva Linga could not be taken by him to Lanka, crushed it with his thumb. Hence the deity in the temple is not the upright Shiva Linga seen elsewhere but a flat Linga."
Around 300 security personnel have been deployed inside the temple complex to ensure the smooth movement of people.
The Jharkhand tourism department has published advertisements in local newspapers explaining how the pilgrims should walk carrying Ganga water to offer to the deity.
The pilgrims, known as 'Kanwarias' (pall bearers), walk from Sultanganj. The holy water is offered on the Shiva Linga.
Pilgrims from Nepal and Bhutan have also arrived. Mondays are considered the most auspicious during the pilgrimage month.
During the month, the temple town reverberates with chants of "Bol Bum!" and "Har Har Mahadeo!" as the devotees troop in round the clock dressed in saffron and carrying water pots slung across their shoulders with a bamboo stick.
The authorities have made elaborate arrangements for the comfort of the 'kanwarias'.
Sand has been spread on the roads approaching Deoghar and water is poured on it during the day so that the pilgrims do not have to tread on the hot tar. Several roadside shops and toilets have been set up for the pilgrims.
A special 'Uma mandap', a canopy named after Shiva's consort Parvati or Uma, has been put up for the convenience of women pilgrims at a cost of Rs.10 million.
The temple management has reserved an hour every day for VIP darshan after Sarkari Puja, which begins at 4 p.m. Sarkari Puja is part of the tradition as the 'pandas' bathe the Lord with water and milk and offer the god prasad.
Chief Minister Madhu Koda said on the occasion: "I pray to Lord Shiva for the prosperity of the people of the state. We will soon develop infrastructure like flyovers and underpasses to help pilgrims move freely during the holy month."