STATE TIMES NEWS
BHADARWAH: Three day Baisakhi festival – a symbol of Nag culture was celebrated in mountainous Bhadarwah Valley with full religious fervour and gaiety.
The ancient festival which marks the beginning of spring in this hilly region was celebrated for three days at different places symbolising the ancient Nag culture of Bhadarwah.
The first celebration was held on 12th of April at Subar Dhar 30 Km from Bhadarwah. On the occasion doors of 700-year-old Subar Nag Temple were thrown open. Hundreds of Nag devotees thronged the Subar Nag meadow to pay obeisance to the Lord Subar Nag.
Dozens of sheep were sacrificed as per ancient custom.
On the second day (13 April) doors of another ancient Nag Temple located in the dense forest on a hilltop known as Nagni Mata were opened for the devotees. Hundreds of pilgrims from across the State and elsewhere reached Baghwati Nagni Devi Temple for her blessings where besides paying obeisance at the Temple people participated in traditional Dheku Dance.
And today on the final day of Baisakhi festival ,people from all walks of life thronged ancient Ghatha in Temple which resides the main deity of Nag culture – The Vasuki Nag.
People were seen in traditional and colourful dresses greeting one another and seeking blessings of Vasuki Nag.
Meanwhile,MLC Naresh Kumar Gupta on his visit to Nagni Devi Temple demanded immediate road connectivity to the ancient Nag Temple from Manthla village.
“Nagni Mata Temple has got all potential to become a major pilgrim tourist destination but for that road connectivity, Dharamshala and toilets should be made at the earliest,” said MLC adding that I have already released Rs 25 lakh from my Constituency Development Fund(CDF) for electrification of the Temple but Govt should provide other basic amenities so that tourists can visit this ancient temple throughout the year.
AKHNOOR : Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department organised a three day Baisakhi Mela at Jia Pota Ghat Akhnoor on the banks of river Chenab. Which commenced from 13th to 15th April.
On the occasion Member of Rajya Sabha Shamsher Singh was the Chief Guest who inaugurated the function in the presence of MLA Akhnoor Rajeev Sharma, MLA Khour Dr. Krishan Lal Bhagat, Sub District Magistrate (SDM) Akhnoor Suresh Chander Sharma, staff of Tourism Department and other prominent citizens of Akhnoor town.
Cultural programmes and other folk dances were also performed by the Cultural Academy of Jammu.
UDHAMPUR: The Mega Cultural Programme organised by the District Administration Udhampur on the second day of the Historic Devika Baisaki Mela was appreciated by the audience who witnessed it in large numbers.
The Cultural Programme has been organised in collaboration with the Department of Information and Public Relations Udhampur and Bhartiya Lok Sangeet Kala Sansthan, Jammu.
District administration has made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the Mela like uninterrupted power, safe drinking water, sanitation, medicare. Police Control Room, assistance booth and security have also been set up at the mela site beside various departments like Agriculture, Horticulture, Health, Sheep, Apiculture, Handicraft, Handloom and Animal Husbandry have put up their departmental stall to educate the masses about the various state and centrally sponsored schemes.
Chairman Devika Baisakhi Mela Management Committee, Mr. Romesh Singh, PO, DRDA, Dr. Jagdish Mehra, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Chander Parkash, Executive Engineer, PHE, Mr. Rajesh Gupta, Managing Director, Bhartiya Lok Sangeet Kala Sansthan, Jammu, Mr. V.K Magotra, Chairman Bhartiya Lok Sangeet Kala Sansthan, Jammu, Mr. M.L Dogra, Representative District Information Centre, Senior officers of various departments, Members of Mela Committee and a large number of people were present in the mela.