Dongargarh
Dongargarh Maa Bamleshwari Dham of Chhattisgarh has once again been ready for Navratri festival. In Chaitra and Quar Navratri, lakhs of devotees reach here to see Mother from India and abroad. This time in view of the crowd, the temple trust and the district administration have paid special attention to every aspect from security to facilities. Sharadiya Navratri will start from 22 September this year and will run till 2 October.
This dham of Dongargarh is located at a height of about 1,600 feet, where more than 1,000 stairs have to be climbed to reach. For the convenience of the devotees, the ropeway has been arranged, although the recent accident increased security concerns. The ropeway has been resumed after technical investigation and improvement. This time the trust has clarified that in Navratri, the ropeway will run from morning to night and there will be regular maintenance in between.
The story of Dongargarh is a fabric of centuries of faith and folklore: This place, known as ‘Kamavati’ (or Kamakhya Nagari) in ancient times, was the center of the kingdom of King Kamsen according to Lokmanya stories, whose penance is considered to be the descent of mother Bagalamukhi/Bamleshwari here; Some talks also associate it with the story of Vikramaditya of Ujjain and local-eurable records and folklore describe the temple as about 2,000–2,200 years old.
The big bamleshwari (about 1,600 ft) located on the high mountain peak and the small bamleshwari located on the top of the bottom – both of them created the tradition of pilgrimage over time; In Navratri, ‘Jyoti Kalash’ and the flood of devotees keep this dham alive even in modern times. Facilities like ropeway and rail with development have made access easier,
Today, the temple trusts and district administrations organize traditional faith and modern systems and organize the reception of pilgrims. For the convenience of devotees, the goddess also took the form here as small bamleshwari and middle Ranchandi under the hill. This is the reason that there is a crowd of devotees in the temples of both the big and small mother here.
The biggest tradition of Dongargarh during Navratri festival is Jyoti Kalash ignition. According to the trust this year, about 7,000 will be burnt in the temple above, 900 in the temple below and 61 Jyoti Kalash in Shitala Mata Temple. Among them, devotees from different states of the country as well as devotees from countries like America, Australia and Namibia will also offer their faith.
In view of the increasing number of devotees, the trust has arranged for huge parking in Chirpani this time. The distance from the railway station to the temple is just half a kilometer, as far as auto or foot can be easily reached. CCTV cameras have been installed on the temple complex and climbing routes. Facilities like AC waiting hall, canteen, cold water system and medical booth have been further strengthened, the administration has completed preparations for the fair.
Maa Bamleshwari Dham, a symbol of faith and faith, is not only Chhattisgarh, but a big center of faith for the whole country. The crowd of devotees who gathered here during Navratri is proof that Maa Bamleshwari is not only the abode of faith for the devotees, but also the faith of fulfilling wishes.
