Bhadur Singh of Thagradi village in Ropar district of Punjab would be honored with the task of offering the Darshani gilaf (cloth covering) to the holy 100 feet high mast of the flag of Darbar Sahib on Monday. It is considered auspicious to be accorded the task of offering Darshani gilaf to the Jhanda Ji.
The flag post is covered with three type of covering, white or Sada Gilaf, Sanil Gilaf – 20 in numbers- and the outermost Darshani Gilaf. The Darshani Gilaf froms the outermost covering of the flag post and only one family is honored with the task of offering it. The father of Bahudur Singh had booked to offer the Darshani Gilaf to Jhandaji 25 years ago.
The officer in charge of Mela Committee, B P Saklani told The Pioneer that the bookings for Darshani Gilaf till the year 2108 have been done while one wanting to donate Sanil Gilaf now should wait for the year 2040 as the bookings till the year 2039 have been done by the committee. He said that the committee has set up a price tag of Rs 14000 on the Dharshani Gilaf and Rs 12000 on the Sanil Gilaf.
The mast would be ceremonially covered with new cloth coverings on Monday. The holy mast would be lowered in the mornings and the old covers would be removed.
The mast would be then washed with milk, curd and water of river Ganga after which the ceremony to cover the mast with the new cover would commence.
The old coverings of the mast are shredded and distributed as Prasad among the devotees. It is believed that these pieces of cloth bring prosperity in the life of one that possesses them. Meanwhile the process of stitching of new Gilaf for the holy mast was completed on the late Sunday evening.
The Coordinator of the Mela Committee, Vishnu Kumar Nautiyal informed that on Monday the process of offering new covers to the mast would commence at around 10 am.
The Sanil gilafs would be offered thereafter and the Darshani Gilaf would be offered at around 4 PM. The Jhanda would be then upped with all ceremonial fanfare at 5 PM. The hoisting of the flag would also mark commencement of 15 days long fair which would end on the Ram Navami day.