CM Hemant Soren: Deoghar’s world-famous Baba Baidyanath Dham witnessed an overwhelming surge of devotion on the first Somwari of Shravan, with an estimated 3.17 lakh Shiv bhakts arriving to offer holy water at the sacred shrine. The temple complex echoed with chants of “Bol Bum” and “Har Har Mahadev” from early morning as devotees queued for kilometres awaiting their turn for Jalabhishek.
Rituals and Crowd Management
The day began with the traditional “Kancha Jal” ritual and government puja, after which the doors were opened for devotees to offer their holy water. To manage the scale of the crowd, authorities extended the outer “argha” (offering receptacle) so that devotees unable to join the main queue could still complete their offering, while expandable barriers were used both inside and outside the temple premises to keep movement orderly.
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Security and Administration in Place
Deoghar police, led by Superintendent of Police Praveen Pushkar, said preparations had been made well in advance, with Quick Response Teams and additional personnel deployed at their posts since the previous night. Officials noted that footfall had already been building through the preceding days of the month, setting the stage for the first Somwari surge.
Backed by the State Shravani Mela 2026
The turnout comes under the umbrella of the State Shravani Mela 2026, which Chief Minister Hemant Soren formally inaugurated, extending a welcome and “Johar” to the lakhs of Kanwariyas and devotees arriving at Baba Baidyanath Dham and Baba Basukinath Dham through the month of Shravan. The state government has continued to oversee arrangements at the shrine as the pilgrimage season progresses.
With Shravan running until late August, temple authorities expect crowds to swell further on subsequent Somwaris, and the administration says security and crowd-management measures will be scaled up accordingly to ensure devotees can complete their pilgrimage safely.
