NASHIK : Amid tight security in Nashik city and the holy town of Trimbakeshwar, about 29 kms from here, hundreds of thousand devotees, sadhus and mahants have been converging in for the second Shahi Snan on ‘Shravan (Darsha Pithori) Amavasya’ muhurat tomorrow.
In view of the large number of pilgrims expected, an additional 870 police personnel would be deployed for the Royal procession, 764 at Sadhugram, 783 cops at Ramkund and 2700 in Gouri Patangan and Yeshwant Maharaj areas in city.
Restrictions have been imposed on the entry of private lifeguards, swayamsevaks (volunteers) and NGO activists except those holding special passes in the Ramkund area.
The devotees who could not witness the Shahi Miravnuk (Royal procession) of sadhus and mahants during the first Kumbh Parvani, will get a change to witness it tomorrow during the second Kumbh Parvani.
More than 50,000 sadhus, 600 vehicles, decorated chariots, sadhus riding horses and camels and sadhu-mahants displaying their dexterity in handing various arms, will be part of the procession.
As the number of ‘Khalsas’ of the main three Vaishanvite Akhadas has increased, the number of sadhus participating in the royal procession for the second Shahi Snan will be double in comparison to the first Parvani, sources said.
The first ‘Shahi-snan of Vasishnavaite and Shaivaite Sadhus and mahantas was held on August 29 at Rakund, Nashik and Kushavarta Kund at Trimbakeshwar respectively.
The first Shahi snan of Simhastha Kumbha Mela 2015-16 passed off peacefully both at Nashik and Trimbakeshwar.
To avoid overcrowding on the roads leading to Ramkund, all the internal routes in the city would be made restriction free. The bus services will be continued from outer stand to inner stand and even the city bus services will continue to ply, officials said.
The Nirvani Akhada had led the Shani Snan for the first Kumbha Parvani. It was followed by the Digamber akhada and Nirmohi akhada.
The sequence will be changed for the second Shahi snan, where the Nirmohi Akhada will lead the procession. It will be followed by Digambar Akhada and then the Nirvani Akhada.
The Nirmohi Akhada will start its Shahi procession at 0600 hours from Laxminarayan Mandir, Sadhugram, Tapovan, and it will culminate with the holy dip at 0700 hrs in Ramkund.
Similarly, the Digamber Akhada will start its procession at 0630 hours and take Shahi snan at 0730 hrs. The Nirvani Akhada will start its procession at 0700 hrs and take Shahi Snan at 0800 hrs.
In the ‘Shahi’ procession, the sadhus of three Akhadas will display their skillS in ‘talwarbaji’, danpatta, ‘lathi-kathi’ and other traditional arts. The local ‘lazim’ squad and drums squads will perform at the lead in the procession.
The procession, starting from Laxminarayan temple will move on to Katya Maruti police post, Ganeshwadi Devi chowk,Panchavati Ayurvedic college, Gauri Patangan, Mhasoba Patangan and Sardar chowk and then reach Ramkund where the flags and the main deity of all the Akhadas will be worshipped.
Following the Shri Mahants, the sadhus will take bath and return to Sadhugram. The preparations for the royal procession are on at all the Akhadas.
(AGENCIES)
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