KATHMANDU, Dec 8: Over 5 million Indian devotees have participated in the Gadhimai fair, which began on November 16 in Bariyarpur, Maha Gadhimai Municipality, Bara. By the 23rd day of the fair, it is estimated that over 8 million devotees have participated in the Gadhimai fair.
According to Birendra Yadav, the general secretary of the festival’s organizing committee, over 5 million Indian and 3 million Nepali devotees have participated in the fair. During the fair, a large number of Indian devotees flock to the Gadhimai Temple to fulfill their vows.
Yadav said, “Over 8 million devotees have participated by the 23rd day of the fair. Among the participants, over 5 million are Indian devotees.”
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After their vows are fulfilled, millions of people arrive to witness the fair. According to the temple priest Shiva Chaudhary, devotees from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal arrive to offer their vows to Gadhimai for the success of elections.
For the convenience of devotees, the fair committee has arranged free tents at various locations. Over 500,000 devotees have stayed in these tents. Various local governments of the district, Trade Union Congress, Marwari Sewa Samiti and other ethnic organizations and non-governmental organizations have also provided free tent services.
Similarly, toilets and drinking water facilities have been arranged at multiple locations throughout the fair area to meet the needs of the devotees. Yadav mentioned that hand pumps and streams of water have significantly eased the devotees.
Additionally, personnel of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Investigation Department have been mobilized for the security of the devotees. CCTV cameras have also been set up to monitor the fair. According to Basanta Adhikari, Chief District Officer of Bara, the fair is being conducted peacefully.
A separate service center of tourism police has been opened specifically to serve Indian devotees, where most Indian devotees have taken the services.
The sacrifice of buffaloes to Gadhimai began on Sunday. According to Yadav, over 10,000 buffaloes have been sacrificed so far, and the process of counting the heads of the sacrificed buffaloes is ongoing.
The strict security and adequate facilities in this fair have helped in ensuring its peaceful and successful operation.
