Ramnagar, Barabanki, Amrit Vichar: A seven-day festival will begin from tomorrow Monday at the mythological pilgrimage site Lodheshwar Mahadeva. According to tradition, District Magistrate Shashank Tripathi will inaugurate the festival by worshiping Lord Lodheshwar. While devotees from far and wide will gather in the Aghani fair held here, many film personalities including Bhojpuri singer Samar Singh and Shilpi Raj, Balibud singer Akshara Singh will perform on the Saptarangi stage in the cultural pandal.
The festival of appearance of Shivalinga of Lodheshwar is celebrated in the form of Aghani Fair. It is believed that Pt. Lodheram Awasthi of this Lodhaura village had found Shivling while plowing the field. Since then, Aghaini fair is being organized here and it got the name of Mahadeva Mahotsav. SDM Gunjita Aggarwal said that all preparations for the festival have been completed. At 2 pm, DM Shashank Tripathi will inaugurate the festival by offering prayers to Lodheshwar in the Math after cutting the ribbon at Vishwa Kalyan Dwar. After this, performances of Bahar Sugam Sangeet Academy and Kathak dance will be given. Bhajans will be presented by Shantanu Maharaj in Bhajan Sandhya from 5 pm onwards. The cultural programs of Mahadeva Mahotsav will be held in a grand pandal decorated in the Mela Bagh ground behind the temple. There are adequate seating arrangements for the spectators. Many types of swings are installed in the fair to entertain the children. The shops are decorated and ready. During the seven-day festival, there will be various programs organized during the day on themes like spiritual, cultural, health, education, sports and rural development.
Amarnath cave will be 40 feet high
To make the festival grand and divine, a 40 feet high Amarnath cave has been built on a 200 feet long mountain with the tireless efforts of Navdurga Jagran Samiti Raniganj President, former block chief representative Gyanu Singh and General Secretary Durgesh Mishra in the fair grounds. On which the idol of Bhole Baba will be seated. Devotees will see the amazing Shivalinga made of ice inside the cave.
Surveillance will be done through CCTV and drones
Tight security arrangements have been made in the Mahadeva Mahotsav. About half a dozen CCTV cameras have been installed for this. Through which officers will keep an eye on the fair. Apart from this, every nook and corner of the festival will also be monitored with about two dozen CCTV cameras and drones. In the security arrangements, 4 COs, 10 Inspectors, 50 Sub Inspectors, 110 constables and head constables, 45 women constables, 30 home guards, 10 traffic police personnel, anti-crime squad team, fire brigade and ambulance will be deployed. Police station in-charge Inspector Anil Kumar Pandey said that five barriers have been installed. There will be parking space and two entry gates for the festival. There will be VIP entry through one gate. While the second gate will be for spectators.
Stalls of government schemes also
People will also be made aware of government schemes through Mahadeva Mahotsav. People will also be given information about the welfare schemes run at the government level at 22 stalls set up in the fair premises related to other departments including Revenue Department, Education, Health, Agriculture, Social Welfare, Swachh Bharat Mission and Horticulture. Employees have been deployed on these. You will also get to taste dishes made from coarse grains.