8L devotees arrive at Kapal Mochan Mela in Yamunanagar district

About eight lakh devotees from Punjab, Haryana and other states arrived at the Kapal Mochan Mela in Bilaspur town of Yamunanagar district to take bath in the holy sarovars here on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday.

The devotees take bath in three holy sarovars, Kapal Mochan Sarovar, Rin Mochan Sarovar and Suraj Kund Sarovar on the occasion of Kartik Purnima with a belief to attain moksha.

Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chief Administrator of the mela, Capt Manoj Kumar said about 8 lakh devotees had reached the mela premises up to 6 pm on Thursday.

“A number of devotees have left for their destination after taking bath in the holy sarovars and offering prayer at the temples and gurdwaras here,” said Capt Kumar.

He said good and elaborate arrangements were made. Care was taken to maintain cleanliness and temporary toilets, provide medicines drinking water, electricity and other necessary facilities.

Bilaspur SDM-cum-Mela Administrator Jaspal Singh Gill said the five-day mela was inaugurated by Commissioner of the Ambala Division Geeta Bharti on November 11.

He said after taking a bath, the pilgrims also performed the religious ritual of lightening earthen lamps on the banks of the sarovars and offered prayers in temples and gurdwaras situated on the mela premises.

He added that a number of devotees offered prayer in Mantra Devi temple, situated at Kathgarh village about 35 km away from Kapal Mochan.

As per available information, most of the devotees buy Jagadhri-made utensils of brass and stainless steel from the stalls there and Jagadhri city as a symbol of good omen.

Naveen Kumar, who opened a stall of stainless steel and brass utensils on the mela premises, said the mela was a good opportunity for the shopkeepers to sell their utensils.

Gill further said more than 100 CCTV cameras were installed for monitoring the mela.

After taking a bath in the holy sarovars at the stroke of midnight on Kartik Purnima, the pilgrims begin returning to their native places on private vehicles and in buses of Haryana Roadways.

Under the guidance of Superintendent of Police Rajiv Deswal, the police also made elaborate arrangements to control the traffic by putting barricades at several places on the roads leading to Sadhaura town, Jagadhri city and Chhachhrauli town from Kapal Mochan mela.