Shravani Mela in Deoghar is an annual religious fair celebrated in Savan (July-August) month as per the Hindu calendar. This fair continues for the whole month (4 weeks to cover 4 Mondays) from July to August.
Shravan month is dedicated to Lord Shiva and the whole month is considered auspicious to seek the blessing of Lord Shiva. In this article, you will find complete information regarding Shravani Mela Deoghar.
Shravani Mela Deoghar Jharkhand
Deoghar also known as Baidyanath Dham or Babadham, is an important Hindu pilgrimage site. It is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas sites in India. Devotees come here for Jalabhishek of Baidyanath Jyotirlinga during the Savan month.
Shiva devotees carry pots of holy water from the Ganga river to perform the Jalabhishek of Shivalinga in the Baidyanath Dham temple, Deoghar.
Baidyanath Dham Temple is crowded with Shiva devotees throughout the year but in the Savan month the intensity increases and you can see lakhs of saffron-clad pilgrims in the temple premises and queued up in the corridor waiting for darshan. The entire area is covered with Shiva devotees wearing saffron clothes. Devotees of Lord Shiva come here trekking all the way from Sultanganj in Bhagalpur district of Bihar which is about 105 Km away from Deoghar.
Shiva devotees first take a bath in the Ganges river at Sultanganj and worship in Baba Ajgaivinath temple and take a vow to complete the holy journey. They take the Ganges water (Ganga-Jal) from Uttar-Vahini Ganga (North-stream Ganga) in two vessels and keep it in a Bahangi or a Kanwar and carry this Kanwar on their shoulder and trek to Deoghar to offer Ganga Jal to Baba Baidyanath Jyotirlinga.
Many devotees, who are physically unable to complete this Kanwar yatra on foot, they come to Baidyanath Dham directly by vehicle to perform Jalabhishek.
After reaching Babadhm, devotees line up in a long waiting queue as per the pilgrims’ crowd available for the darshan. Temple and district administration also offer Shighra Darshanam facility on a paid basis. Once devotees complete the Jalabhishek at Babadham temple, they rush to Basukinath temple to offer Jalabhishek to Baba Basukinath, which is about 45 Km away from Deoghar.
Also Read: Kanwar Yatra Guide
Arrangement of Jalabhishek During Shravani Mela
During the Shravani fair, the administration has made three arrangements for making accessible Jalabhishek offerings to the Kanwariyas who come to Babadham. Under the first arrangement, there will be a normal queue. For this, arrangements have been made to queue up from Baba Mandir in the route line. The Kanwariyas who worship through the normal queue will have to go to the end of the queue from Mansarovar via Jalsar Children’s Park after taking a Sankalpa in the Babadham Mandir.
The second arrangement is that of sheeghra darshanam. In this, Rs 500 will have to be paid per person to avail this service. Devotees can offer Jalabhishek within 20-30 minutes without waiting in a long queue and enter in the temple sanctum through the administrative building within a few minutes.
Read More: Shighra Darshanam Ticket Booking
Apart from this, in the third arrangement, Jalabhishek can be offered from outside Argha. Which is located adjacent to the exit gate in the temple premises. A pipeline has been connected to the Shivling and the jal of Kanwariyas will be offered directly to Baba. The devotees can also see his Jalabhishek on the big screen installed just above the Baba Mandir.
History Of Shravani Mela Deoghar
According to Purans, during the Samudra Manthan or churning of the cosmic ocean, many divine things emerged, including the poison Halahala. As Lord Shiva consumed it, Parvati grabbed his neck to prevent the toxic brew from being swallowed, turning his throat blue, hence his name Neelkanth. Yet, the poison inflamed Shiva’s body.
To decrease the effect of the poison, the practice of offering water to Shiva started. Hence, his associations with all cool things like– the crescent moon, the Ganga and water continuously dripping on the linga. It is said the Samudra Manthan (Churning of the Ocean) took place during the month of Shravan, hence the practice of offering Jal to Shivlinga started then.
As mentioned in Anand Ramayana, Lord Ram was the first who had carried the holy Ganges Jal from Sultanganj and offered Jalabhishek to Baidyanath Jyotirlinga in Deoghar. Since then Kanwar Yatra was started.
The Kanwar Yatra, which was once a small affair, has now taken the proportions of a grand religious event of Shravani Mela in the last few decades, and the gathering involves almost 55-60 Lakhs devotees in a month from different states including foreign devotees.
Importance Of Savan Somwar
In Hinduism, Monday (Somvar) is considered as the day of Shiva worship. And so there is an importance of Monday in the month of Savan. Devotees perform Jalabhishek and observe fasting on the Savan Somvar (Mondays in Savan month).
As per the Hindu calendar, there are a total of four to five Mondays that fall during the Shravan month and are considered very auspicious times during this month when devotees offer Ganga Jal to Shivalingam.
This year after almost 19 years, Shravan mela lasted for two months due to Malamas. The month of Shravan or Sawan started on 4th July 2023 and ended on 31 August 2023. A total of 8 Somvar Vrats were observed this year.
| 4 July 2023, Tuesday | Sawan Starts |
| 10 July 2023, Monday | First Shravan Somvar |
| 17 July 2023, Monday | Second Shravan Somvar |
| 18 July 2023, Tuesday | Malamaas (Adhikmaas) Start |
| 24 July 2023, Monday | Leaped First Shravan Somvar |
| 31 July 2023, Monday | Leaped Second Shravan Somvar |
| 7 August 2023, Monday | Leaped Third Shravan Somvar |
| 14 August 2023, Monday | Leaped Fourth Shravan Somvar |
| 16 August 2023, Wednesday | Malmaas (Adhikmaas) Ends |
| 21 August 2023, Monday | Third Shravan Somvar |
| 28 August 2023, Monday | Fourth Shravan Somvar |
| 31 August 2023, Thursday | Sawan Ends |
Deoghar Shravani Mela Kanwariya Route
To control the crowd during Savan Mela, the district administration urges the pilgrims to follow the route for easy darshan for all the devotees.
Guidelines For Pilgrims During Shravani Mela
- Follow the Shrawani Mela Kanwaria Route as directed by the district administration
- Be in the queue and do not rush in the queue
- Follow the instructions given on the PA system by Police and RPF
- Do not wear or carry precious ornaments (Gold /Diamond etc) during the Yatra or in the Temple premises.
- Do not believe in rumors. Do a fact-check
- In case of medical urgency, seek help from available police or the medical service center
- Give preferences to children and the elderly
- Get your Access Card from the Access Card System before entering to temple.
- Maintain a queue while entering to Garbh Grih of the temple.
- Follow the instructions given by the authorities.
- Be safe from the stampede by keeping yourself calm and using the presence of mind.
Where To Stay in Deoghar
If you have the contact details of your Tirtha Purohit (Panda Ji) then you can ask him to make the necessary arrangements for your stay at Deoghar. They will help you to get your accommodation at their home, guest house, or in Dharamshala.
If you do not have any contacts then you can stay in any good hotel in Deoghar. Here is the list of the Best Hotels in Deoghar.
During Shravani Mela, the hotel occupancies become full and you need to make bookings well in advance. (Beware of Fake Agents and Guides)
Important Contact Information
| Babadham Mandir, Deoghar | +91-9430322655, 06432-232680 |
| Deoghar District Control Room | 100 / 06432-235719 |
| Civil Surgeon Sadar Hospital | 9263002130 |
| Deoghar Fire Service | 06432-223260 |
| Deoghar Thana Incharge | 9470591050 |
| Mohanpur Thana Incharge | 9470591053 |
| Sub-Divisional Police Officer | 9470591066 |
| Deoghar DC | 9431139339 |
| Official Website (District Administration) | https://deoghar.nic.in |
| Official Website (Temple Administration) | https://babadham.org |
| Email Address (District Administration) | jhrdeo@nic.in |
| Email Address (Temple Administration) | contact@babadham.org |
| Twitter Handle (DC Deoghar) | @DCDeoghar |
(Note: Please check the Official Website for more updated contact information)
FAQs On Shravani Mela Deoghar
1. Where is Shravani Mela held?
Shravani Mela is held in Deoghar, Jharkhand as an annual religious fair that is celebrated in Savan (July-August) month as per the Hindu calendar.
2. What is Darshan Timing During Shravani Mela?
Normal temple timing is 4 AM – 3:30 PM and 6 PM – 9 PM. But the timing can be extended during Shravani Mela.
3. What are the first and last Savan Somvar dates in 2023?
The first Savan Somvar is on 4th July and the last Somvar is on 28th August 2023.
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