Ban on mobile phones, bags in Baidyanath Dham temple during Shravani Mela

Dumka: Devotees will be barred from entering the Baba Baidyanath Dham Temple complex in Deoghar with mobile phones, bags and other belongings during this year’s Shravani Mela, which is scheduled to commence on July 31. The month-long fair draws lakhs of devotees from Jharkhand and across the country.The move, which is a first-of-its-kind, was taken at a high-level administrative review meeting which was chaired by state tourism minister Sudviya Kumar in Deoghar on Monday. Security measures, crowd management, use of technology and facilities for pilgrims were also discussed at the meet.Confirming the move, Deoghar sub-divisional officer (SDO) on Tuesday said that the restriction aims to strengthen security and streamline the movement of the lakhs of pilgrims expected during the month-long festival. “Devotees will not be allowed to carry mobile phones, bags or any belongings inside the temple premises during the mela,” Kumar, also the temple-in-charge, said.To facilitate this arrangement, a modern cloakroom facility is being set up at the queue complex, enabling devotees to deposit their belongings before entering the temple. Officials said the initiative would help reduce congestion within the temple premises and improve the overall experience.During the review, the minister directed all departments to ensure timely completion of preparations and emphasised seamless arrangements for pilgrims. In a significant move, he also announced that there would be no out-of-turn darshan for VIPs and VVIPs, ensuring equal access for all devotees.Sudivya asked officials to strengthen security infrastructure by deploying fully functional police outposts, traffic control units, health centres, information kiosks and round-the-clock sanitation services across the mela area.He also called for the use of advanced technologies such as facial recognition systems, AI-enabled control rooms, chatbot-based helplines and smart traffic management systems to ensure foolproof security during one of the country’s largest religious gatherings.