Rajim Maghi Punni Mela, 2023, An Intangible Cultural Heritage Of Humanity

A sea of humanity from different corners of the state converged in the holy city for the Rajim Maghi Punni Mela, held every year at Rajim, the abode of Lord Shri Rajiv Lochan, one of the main temples of Chhattisgarh. The town of Rajim holds a significant place in Chhattisgarh’s history as the centre of devotional activities.

Spotlight Desk

Updated on: 16 March 2023 11:38 am

Rajim Maghi Punni Mela

Gariyaband?(Chhattisgarh) [India], March 16: The 14-day-long?Rajim?Maghi?Punni?Mela?is Chhattisgarh’s largest congregation of Hindus. The ‘Punni?Snan’ began in the wee hours with sadhus and common devotees venturing into the holy?Prayagraj?Triveni?Sangam?chanting “Har?Har?Mahadev” and “Jai Rajiv?Locan” at the temple town of?Rajim, of?Gariaband?district on Sunday, 5th February on the?Maghi?Purnima?day of the lunar month of?Margashirsha?of the Hindu?Calendar. The?Sangam?at?Rajim?is the holy confluence of rivers Mahanadi (Chitrotpala),?Pairi?and?Sondur. The?mela?finally concluded on Saturday, 18th February, on?Mahashivaratri?day.?

A sea of humanity from different corners of the state converged in the holy city for the?Rajim?Maghi?Punni?Mela, held every year at?Rajim, the abode of Lord?Shri?Rajiv?Lochan, one of the main temples of Chhattisgarh. The town of?Rajim?holds a significant place in Chhattisgarh’s history as the?centre?of devotional activities. The geographical location of?Rajim?Maghi?Punni?Mela?covers various locations, mostly temples scattered around the?Sangam?area. The major temples include?Shri?Rajiv?Lochan,?Kuleshwar?Mahadev,?Dandaneshwar?Mahadev, Baba?Garibnath,?Lomash?Rishi Ashram,?Rajim?Bhaktin?Mata?Mandir, Mama-Bhancha?Mandir,?Rajarajeshwar, etc. All roads in?Rajim?were full of devotees jostling to reach the?Sangam?for the holy dip.?

Rajim?was fully geared up to host the holy gathering of devotion. Thousands of devotees, including saints and seers, took a holy dip at the?Sangam?during the?mela?days, one after another, for which all the protective and facilitative arrangements were made along the banks of?Sangam?by the?Gariaband?District Administration. Adequate arrangements for surveillance, security and?logistics?were made ahead of this mega event. Hundreds of?policemen?and CCTV cameras kept a strict vigil at the?mela?venue. 14 days of round-the-clock festivities, and not a single mishap was reported during the mega event. It is noteworthy that there was no pollution in the rivers, and hygienic conditions prevailed around the?mela?premises.?

Speaking about the prior planning and management during?Rajim?mela, District Collector IAS?Prabhat?Malik said that given the number of pilgrims coming into the area, safety is obviously a huge concern. The district administration tried to make all the possible arguments to?provide?facilities to pilgrims at the meal. Security was revamped at every nook and cranny of the town. The food and other stalls were?organised?in a way to not ensure the free passage of devotees at the?mela. Traffic management and parking space were allotted as per expected footfall. Various camps like healthcare camps, tents for resting and 70 mobile toilets were installed with full maintenance by deploying 100 cleaning staff members.?Full?day live telecast of the?mela?was provided on YouTube.?Furthermore?a website, https://rajimmela.com/ was made?in order to?give all the necessary information about the fair.?

The?Rajim?Maghi?Punni?Mela?was truly a memorable event that Chhattisgarh?witnessed.?