Thousands of followers of Udaseen Sect founded by Guru Ram Rai participated in the customary ceremony of Nagar Parikrama on Wednesday. The major roads of the State capital were immersed in religious fervor and festivity on the day as the people jostled past each other to have a glimpse of the majestic procession which was led by Mahant Devendra Dass, the tenth Mahant of the sect with a worldwide following. People showered floral petals and chanted Bhajans as the sangat marched forward during the Parikrama.

The Nagar Parikrama is held on third day of the Jhanda fair. A sangat numbering about 25,000 devotees started the Parikrama from the historic Guru Ram Rai Darbar Sahib at 9 am. In a major change the Mahant had decided that the Parikrama this year would not go through some places to avoid traffic congestion.

From Darbar sahib the procession reached  Shri Guru Ram Rai Public School, Bindal via Saharanpur Chowk and Kanwali Road, here the ‘Sangat’ was distributed with  Prasad of ‘Channa’ (roasted grams) puffed rice and Jaggery.  The procession then reached Tilak Road and from there it reached clock-tower. large number of local people and shopkeepers welcomed the procession with slogans and flower petals.

From the clock tower the procession headed towards lakhi Bagh, through Paltan Bazar by doing it avoided the crowded areas of Darshan lal Chowk- Saharanpur Chowk- Gandhi road- Prince Chowk which incidentally was ages old path of the Nagar Parikrama. From lakhibagh the ‘Sangat’ headed to offer its obeisance at the crematorium of former Mahants of the sect. 

After taking some rest at this place the procession finally arrived at the ‘Shri Darbar Sahib’ the sanctum sanctorum of the sect, with this ‘Nagar Parikrama’ came to an end. As a precautionary measure the management committee had deployed two ambulances with a team of doctors from Mahant Indiresh hospital during the ‘Nagar Parikrama’.

With the ceremony of Nagar Parikrama the departure of the Sangats started from Darbar Sahb. The Sagats appreciated the warm welcome accorded to them by the city dwellers. Mahant Devendra Dass said that said that every year ‘Sangats’ from India and abroad reach Dehradun to be a part Jhanda fair and ‘Nagar Parikramma’ and year after year the people of the city welcome them with greater affection, care and love. He said that effect of this love is that every year the ‘Sangats’ reach in heavy numbers.