Dhar: Chants of worship resonate in Bhojshala on Basant Panchami, five-day event begins: Muslims to offer Namaz from 1 PM amidst tight security
Dhar: On the occasion of Basant Panchami, a five-day program began Friday morning at the historical Bhojshala in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh. Along with the chanting of prayers and worship, offerings were made in the sacrificial fire pit within the premises.
Special arrangements have been made for prayers and Namaz at the disputed religious site Bhojshala in Dhar. Hindu devotees began worshipping Goddess Vagdevi with the sunrise. Havan and recitations will continue until sunset.
In a separate area, Friday prayers (Juma Namaz) will also be offered from 1 pm to 3 pm. Usually, only worship is allowed on Basant Panchami and Namaz on Fridays, but when both fall on the same day, a tense situation arises.
Bhojshala decorated with saffron flags
Amidst the Supreme Court's decision yesterday regarding both worship and prayers, the Bhojshala and its premises were decorated with saffron flags for the Basant Utsav (Spring Festival). Special decorations were made with five and a half quintals of flowers in the sanctum sanctorum and the surrounding area. The Ved Arambh Sanskar (initiation into Vedic studies) ceremony has also begun near the fire pit, where children are being given information about the rituals and the Ved Arambh ceremony is being performed.
At sunrise, along with the idol of Goddess Vagdevi, Gopal Sharma of the Bhojshala Mukti Yagna and the committee officials installed the idol of Goddess Vagdevi, performed her aarti and prayers, and offered ahuti (oblations) into the sacrificial fire pit, thus beginning the continuous worship.
The Supreme Court has granted the Hindu side permission to worship Goddess Saraswati (Vagdevi) from sunrise to sunset on the occasion of Basant Panchami, while the Muslim side has been given permission for Friday prayers from 1 PM to 3 PM. In its judgment delivered yesterday, the court clarified that this arrangement has been made to maintain a balance between the religious programs of both communities.
Robust security arrangements
The court bench has directed the district administration to designate separate places for worship and prayers in the premises, arrange for special passes, and ensure robust security arrangements. The Muslim side has been asked to provide the district administration with an estimated list of people who will be coming for prayers.
In this regard, according to Sharma associated with Bhojshala, the Hindu side's objective has always been continuous worship, and after the court order, they will perform worship from sunrise to sunset.
Meanwhile, the administration has also installed barricades in the premises so that people coming for darshan and worship do not face any difficulties. According to the committee's general secretary, Sumit Chaudhary, the Maa Saraswati Yagna began at 7 AM.
Procession to feature oil painting of Goddess Vagdevi
The procession, featuring an oil painting of Goddess Vagdevi, will start from Lalbagh Garden at Udaji Rao Chowpatty in the city. After covering a distance of approximately 2.5 kilometers, the procession will reach the Bhojshala premises at 12 PM. Thousands of young people, women, girls, and people from rural areas will participate in the procession.
On Basant Panchami, a religious assembly will be held at the Bhojshala complex at around 12:15 PM, which will be addressed by the main speaker. About an hour later, at 1:15 PM, the Maha Aarti of the oil painting of Goddess Vagdevi will be performed by the guest of honor.
Following the court order, the administration now has the major responsibility of ensuring that both arrangements are followed. However, preparations for this had started a month ago. The administrative staff has prepared a special security strategy. Bhojshala and the surrounding area have been turned into a fortified zone to maintain peace and order.
Zigzag barricades have been erected at the main entrance of Bhojshala for the safety of devotees and crowd control. Two separate routes have been created for entry and exit. Approximately 8,000 police personnel have been deployed, and the Bhojshala, its premises, and the city have been divided into a total of six sectors.
Indore division's IG Anurag Singh, Commissioner Sudama Khade, District Collector Priyank Mishra, SP Mayank Awasthi, and other senior officials are keeping a close watch on every activity.