Lakhs of pilgrims took the holy dip in Ganga on the auspicious occasion of Somvati and Mauni Amavasya on Monday. The influx of the devotees had started on Sunday. A long weekend and the auspicious occasion beckoned the devotees from Delhi NCR, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan to the holy city. Temporary bus stands set up at Rishikul witnessed a heavy rush of the devotees streaming in their hordes. Movement of heavy vehicles was stopped on Sunday midnight and the regulation continued till Monday midnight.
Silence enjoys an exalted place in sadhana as it connotes an invincible power which cannot be attained through speech, according to the spiritual tradition of the land. An ascetic said that all the religions and Hinduism, in particular, stress on the power of silence. “It helps the strength attained through sadhana to be concentrated. It prevents dissipation of the power through speech. The strength concentrated within helps the mind to ascend from level to higher level. Considering the significance of silence for spiritual progress, our ancestors suggested the ‘Amavasya’ falling in this month to be observed as ‘Mauni Amavasya’,” he said.
The period of auspiciousness for the Amavasya started on Sunday midnight and continued till 2.30 pm on Monday. The devotees from across the country thronged the Har Ki Paidi and other ghats to take the ritualistic holy dip to avail the spiritual gain as enunciated by the religious scriptures. The people performed tarpan (offering to the ancestors) at Narayani Shila and Kushawart ghat. It is believed that whatever one offers on this day to the deceased family members it reaches them straight and one gains punya which is equal to what one gains through performing ‘Ashwamedha Yajnas’.
Astrologer Prateek Mishrapuri said while speaking to The Pioneer that silence means withdrawal from the senses, which are always inclined to move outward responding to external distractions. “Silence takes one deep within, helps one to get into the touch of the inner being. It is only during the state of contemplation and meditation in silence that one has insights into the truths of existence. The most important ritual observed on this day is taking holy dip in Ganga,” he said.
SSP Haridwar Janmejey Khanduri along with his team monitored the movements of the people from CCR Tower at Har Ki Paidi while the district magistrate Deepak Rawat inspected the area in the morning hours.
Speaking to the Pioneer, Janmejey Khanduri said, “There was no traffic snarl on the highway or other roads connecting Har Ki Paidi. In Roorkee, however, there was a traffic jam for a few minutes but things eased soon. Till 4 pm, 24 lakh pilgrims have taken the dip at Har Ki Paidi and other Ganga ghats. After the evening arati, the number crossed 25 lakh. The highway was not closed at any point of time. Four -wheelers were allowed beyond Rishikul in the afternoon till the railway station.”
SSP further said, “The whole of mela area has been divided into 14 zones and 38 sectors. Cops were posted across the highway apart from the district police personnel. They were posted at the major crossings to ensure that people do not stand midway, creating traffic chaos. As the traffic was diverted from Laksar region the pace slowed down, but traffic jam was reported from nowhere. Traffic was diverted from Narsen entry point and inside the city through the Chilla route, busses were diverted.”
Besides, zero zone was marked from post office tri-junction to the main market at Har Ki Paidi and towards Bhim Goda area. Two teams of bomb squad and dog squad were deputed in the mela zone and the whole area was under the surveillance of close circuit cameras, added the SSP.