Itanagar: The Parshuram Kund Makar Sankranti Mela in Arunachal Pradesh is known as the “Kumbh of Poorvottar Bharat”. Thousands of devotees participate in the holy festival yearly despite the harsh weather.
During this year’s famous Parshuram Kund Makar Sankranti Mela in Arunachal Pradesh, many incidents of theft have come to the fore. It is essential to mention here that most of the families of the Muslim Community are engaged in the Yatra as Safai Karamcharis. The administration gives them authorised identity cards to enter the festival areas.
During this year’s fair, when Baba Harisharandas ji Maharaj, the Mahant of Parshuram Temple, woke up in the morning and sat outside his room, he saw some suspicious persons entering the temple. He immediately called other disciples and walked towards the temple.
Till then, a miscreant ran away after picking up the donation currencies from the temple. However, the other two miscreants were caught. The identity of both of them being Muslim has come to the fore and has created panic among the local devotees.
The legendary Parshuram Teerth is slowly coming under the shadow of fear and potential insecurity. Today’s incident is serious before any significant incident happens in future. Who are the contractors who invite these people on the yatra, and who send them here in the name of duty is a matter which needs to be disclosed. There should be a high-level inquiry into this.
And many other developments need to be noted. Every year the pilgrims believe in throwing wet clothes after their bath. People of this particular community used to pick up these spare clothes. But this year, there have been incidents of the disappearance of even dry clothes which some passengers had kept on the ghat to wear after bath.
People from the families of these so-called sanitary workers sit like beggars even on the way to the ghat. After the Mela, it is witnessed that all such collected goods, clothes and grains are carried in vehicles by them.
Every year there are incidents of pickpocketing in the Mela. It is noticeable that during this year, the number of such incidents has increased. Also, this year another objectionable incident has come to the limelight. Moon and star symbols have also come up on the stone wall near the holy bathing ghat of Parshuram Kund.
All these incidents are indicators of upcoming severe problems for the future of the famous Parshuram Kund and its equally famed Makar Sankranti Mela, which takes place every year. Prevention and action need to be taken by the administration as soon as possible, and at the same time, awareness among the local society is also the need of the hour.
