Chhattisgarh is all set to open its much awaited, two-week, annual religious gathering ‘Rajim Kumbh’ on the holy confluence of rivers Mahanadi, Pairi and Sondhur for the devotees on the occasion of Magh Purnima from Friday at Rajim, about 45 km away from Raipur.
The State Government has made elaborate arrangements to welcome the devotees from across the country at the holy site for attending the fair also popularly known as ‘Chhattisgarh’s Prayag Raj .’ The Kumbh would conclude on the day of Mahashivratri on February 27.
A jumbo 171 member Central committee had been constituted by the State Religious Trusts and Endowments Department to manage the affairs of the fair under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Raman Singh.
Minister for Religious Trusts and Endowments Brijmohan Agrawal has been nominated as Executive Chairman and Minister for Culture and Tourism Ajay Chandrakar as the Vice Chairman of the Committee which has as many as 84 distinguished members . The Secretary, Department of Religious Trusts and Endowments had been nominated as Special Member of the Committee.
The committee was formed under 'Chhattisgarh Rajim Kumbh Mela Act 2006' and a notification to this effect had already been issued from the Mantralaya.
The committee members alongwith Religious Trusts and Endowments Minister Brijmohan Agrawal reviewed the preparations being made for the meeting till late at night on Wednesday.
On the occasion, the officials issued necessary directives on provision of amenities such as power supply, drinking water, proper lighting arrangements, First Aid, fire safety equipment and making elaborate security arrangements at the fair venue.
It may be mentioned that the Religious Trusts and Endowments Department has also constituted an 11-member local Committee of government officials for smooth conduct of the fair. The Department has come out with two other notifications while naming Collector Gariaband as the ‘Mela Officer’ and the Chief Medical and Health Officer, Raipur as the 'Medical Officer' for the fair.
The meeting was attended by Rajim MlA Santosh Updhyaya, Secretary, Religious Trusts and Endowments Department R C Sinha, Raipur Division Commissioner B l Tiwari, Collector, Gariaband, Hemant Pahare, Collector, Dhamtari, N S Mandavi, Superintendent of Police , Gariaband, Abhishek Pathak, Superintendent of Police, Dhamtari, Akbar Ram Korram besides other officials.
This apart, the 11-member local committee formed for managing the Mela affairs would have the Director of Department of Culture and Archaeology as the Chairman with officials of Chhattisgarh Tourism Board (CTB), Department of Culture and Archaeology and Rajbhasha Commission as its members. The Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Department of Culture and Archaeology has been nominated as the Member Secretary of the Committee.
Chief Minister Raman Singh has extended his best wishes to the people for famous 'Rajim Kumbh Mela' to be held from February 14.
In his message released on the eve of inaugural day of Rajim Mela, the Chief Minister has heartily welcomed the large number of devotees turning up to attend this important religious event.
Singh said that Rajim Kumbh, the mega event organized every year at the sacred confluence point of three rivers namely Mahanadi, Pairi and Sondhur, has become an inseparable part of Chhattisgarh's cultural identity.
Rajiv lochan Temple in Rajim and other historical temples of Kuleshwar Mahadev are of great religious significance to the lakhs and crores of devotees in not only Chhattisgarh but also across the country, he said.
Since the past nine years, the State Government has been extending all the co-operation and support to organize this traditional event in a magnificent manner, Singh said.