On the occasion of Kartik Poornima, thousands of devotees will take a ritual dip in the Shivnath river on Sunday. Also, a popular fair Punni Mela will be organised at Mahdevghat in Raipur and on the bank of Shivnath river in Rajnandgaon.
For years, people from all over the state come to these fair held on Kartik Poornima. The district administration has completed all the preparations regarding the fair, including security. Devotees began to throng at the banks of the river from Saturday midnight. Additional arrangements have been made at Mohara Annicut for holy dips. Divers have been deployed at the spot to avoid any untoward incidents.
Poornima on the day of Shukla Paksha in the Kartik month is observed as Kartik Poornima. It is said on this day, God incarnated himself as matsya or fish. Vishnu took the fish incarnation to save Vaivasvata, the seventh Manu and the progenitor of the human race from the deluge. Also, lord Mahadev is believed to killed a demon named Tripuri on this day and hence, it is known as Tripuri Poornima. Kartik Poornima has immense religious value according to the Hindu mythology. There is a tradition of taking a bath in Ganga and donating lamps on this day. It is believed that Kartik Poornima provides Dharma, Artha, Kama and Salvation.
Food stalls, craft items and rides will be the main attraction of the fair. Arrangements have been made for smooth movement of traffic. Traffic points have been installed from Nandai to Mohara. Administration has beefed up security arrangements in anticipation of the huge crowd that visits the fair every year on Kartik Poornima. People from both urban and rural areas visit this fair with their family and thousands take a holy dip in Shivnath river between sunrise and sunset.