The historic Purnagiri Mela is all set to begin at Purnagiri Temple in Champawat from March 7. Coinciding with the Chaitra Navratri, the religious fair would continue till June, the officials concerned of the Champawat district administration said. The interesting fact about this religious congregation is that though\\devotees keep on visiting this shrine all around the year their number peaks during the annual fair. Enthusiasm among the devotees remains as high as it used to be in the ancient times, the veterans based in Kumaon maintain.
The holy shrine of the Purnagiri is situated at an altitude of about 3000 meters above the sea level and it is 20 kms away from Tanakpur which is one of the important trading destinations of this hills and the border district Champawat. To visit the shrine, one can go up to Thuligaarh in Tanakpur by road. From there, a trek would take one to the temple.
From Purnagiri, the river Kali originating from the Himalayas in Pithoragarh descends into the plains and is known as Sharda . Mix of devotion and the picturesque geographical character of that part of Champawat district made it a place known for enormous tourist footfalls. Parliamentary secretary and MlA from Champawat Hemesh Kharkwal has claimed that necessary directions have been given to the officials concerned of the Champawat district administration to ensure successful completion of the about three- month- long religious fair.
At the same time, he has asked Champawat district police to have the people coming from outside to be verified so that no untoward incident happens. He has also asked the officials concerned to conduct meeting every fortnight to review preparations for the fair. Champawat district administration has also decided to pay special attention to ensure basic amenities in order that the devotees are spared inconveniences during their sojourn in Purnagiri Temple.