state

Rajim Kumbh Kalpa: Naga sadhus took out a procession

Harshad Dewangan 20 February 2025

During the Rajim Kumbh Kalp Mela, the scene in the pilgrimage area Rajim became thrilling when the Naga sadhus took out a procession. The Naga saints, with ashes applied on their bodies, waving their matted hair, performed acrobatics to the tune of musical instruments like bandbaja, damru, nagada etc. and displayed weapons. During this, the residents of the Rajim city and the queue of devotees who had come to the fair remained busy in welcoming the Naga saints. People kept showering flowers on the Naga saints amidst the chanting of Har Har Mahadev.

On Wednesday after 12 o'clock in the morning, a group of Naga saints left for Rajim Dattatreya Temple from Lomash Rishi Ashram. After various religious rituals at the Dattatreya Temple, the saints offered food to the deity and took prasadi. Thereafter, a display of weapons was held in the temple premises. From here the Naga sadhu saints placed Lord Dattatreya in a palanquin and started the procession. The procession reached its pandal located at Sant Samagam from Dattatreya Temple via Sundarlal Sharma Chowk, VIP Road, Rajivlochan-Kuleshwar Road, where Lord Dattatreya was installed after performing puja as per the rituals.

During the procession, Naga sadhus and saints displayed various feats and weapons at many places. To see the akhadas and to receive the blessings of the Naga sadhus, a crowd of devotees gathered on the roadside with devotion and excitement. A large number of visitors from the rural areas around the region, including Rajim town, were present and considered themselves blessed by offering flowers of their devotion and becoming witnesses of this procession. In the procession, Naga sadhus and sanyasis of various akhadas were moving forward with their traditional divine adornments, displaying weapons. Juna akhada president Mahant Umeshanand Giri, Gopal Giri Maharaj, Digambar Santosh Giri Maharaj, Gokulgiri Maharaj, Siddheshwari Puri Maharaj, Padmanipuri Maharaj, Kamleshwar Nand Saraswati, Gariaband collector Deepak Agarwal, member secretary of the fair organizing committee Pratapchand Parikh and other saints participated in the procession. At the same time, the police team including Rajim police station in-charge Amrit Lal Sahu was engaged in security arrangements so that no disruption of any kind occurs.