Madhepura: The entire edifice of the Lord Shiva shrine is undergoing a facelift in preparation for the upcoming monthlong Shrawani Mela, one of the biggest religious congregations in Madhepura district’s Singheshwar Sthan, located 6km east of the district headquarters. The fair will begin on July 22.
The state revenue and land reforms department recently allocated Rs 15 lakh for preparations to provide better facilities for the devotees.At least five lakh devotees from Mithilanchal, Seemanchal, and neighbouring Nepal are expected to attend the fair, bringing holy Ganga water to the sacred shrine of Lord Shiva.
Confirming the allocation of funds and ongoing preparations, Madhepura district rural development department director Santosh Kumar said the administration had already ordered the removal of encroachments from the roads leading to the shrine. He added that preparations are underway to provide necessary amenities to the devotees.
Earlier, Singheshwar Sthan was omitted from the list of Shrawani fair-bound places issued by the Bihar govt. Funds were allocated after Madhepura DM and president of the Singheshwar Temple Trust Vijay Prakash Meena wrote to the ACS of the revenue and land reforms department.
Madhepura SDO and temple trust manager Santosh Kumar held a meeting with trust members at the temple control room in Singheshwar Sthan to review the proposed preparations. Bracketing work will be carried out along the road between the Shio Ganga pond and the shrine to control the heavy rush of devotees. Directives were given to install air conditioners and fans in the main shrine. Arrangements for accommodations, lighting, potable water and mobile toilets are on the preparation list.
Devotees ferry Ganga water on foot from Aguani in Khagaria district and Mahadeopur Ghat in Bhagalpur district to offer at the holy shrine in Singheshwar Sthan. Although devotees congregate year-round, the month of Shrawan holds special significance for worshipping Lord Shiva.
Tents are proposed to be set up at Chausa, Uda-Kishunganj and Manikpur, located on the eastern fringe of Madhepura town, for devotees who ferry Ganga water from Mahadeopur Ghat to Singheshwar Sthan. These devotees are locally known as ‘Dak Bam’.
People from the region prefer to get their children tonsured and marry their adult siblings here, believing that couples married at this holy site are blessed with a son first.
Traffic management remains a key challenge for the administration during the monthlong event, as NH-106, a crucial route, passes through the main town of Singheshwar, leading to regular congestion. A proposed detour road to alleviate traffic congestion is yet to materialise.