Huge Rush of Pilgrims for Ashwin Amavasya Mela in Chitrakoot Dham, Bundelkhand
Huge Rush of Pilgrims for Ashwin Amavasya Mela in Chitrakoot Dham, Bundelkhand
In
a desperate attempt, thousands of stranded Hindu pilgrims attending a special
fair risked their lives by travelling on rooftop of trains and hanging from the
sides of the coaches in the holy town of Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh. On Monday,
which marked the concluding day of Pitru Paksha, the 16-day period when Hindus
pay homage to their dead, a special fair - Ashwin Amavasya Mela - was organised
in Chitrakoot to celebrate the new moon. Hindus observe the ritual of Pitru
Paksha, which begins on a full moon day (Purnima) that occurs immediately after
the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi and ends with the new moon day (Amavasya).
During the fair, pilgrims take a dip in Mandakani River and float earthen lamps
to attain peace and seek blessings of their departed ancestors. However, on
their way back, several thousands of them were left stranded at Chitrakoot Dham
railway junction due to inadequate number of trains to tackle the peak rush.
Thousands of pilgrims could be seen travelling on roof tops, eager to return to
their home towns.
Courtesy: ANI News