Aseemanand in jail,work begins for Shabri Kumbh

The trust members started preparations,organising meetings with different groups in the neighbouring districts in the state and also Maharashtra,to make the event successful. The three-day-long Shabri Kumbh Mela will start from January 13 at Pampa Sarovar in Jarsod village.

Till now,two meetings have been organised by the trustees at Vaghai in the Dangs and Songadh in Tapi district in last few months. The Samiti trustees include Phoolchand Kokni,Nirmala Gavit,Shivubhai Puwar,Sampat Walu,Vijay Patel (all from the Dangs),who are collecting funds and sending invitations to sadhus across the country.

Patel said this is for the first time they are trying to organise the event by themselves. “We hope it will conclude successfully. We had worked with Swami Aseemanand during the 2006 Shabri Kumbh and it was a great success. We have written a letter to the state government to provide road,water and electricity facilities at the venue so that the devotees don’t face any difficulty. We will invite the Chief Minister and people from other states to participate in the event.”

Shivubhai Puwar,a trustee,said: “This time,we have decided to include events such as dharm sabha and cultural functions. We have printed pamphlets and have started distributing it to the sants. Goddess Shabri Mata has a place in the heart of the tribals of Dangs and we will continue the tradition of the fairs. We have one year to prepare for the fair.”

Nirmala Gavit,another trustee,said: “The seven kilometre area from Shabri Mata temple in Kangadiamal village to Pampa Sarovar in Jarsod village will be decorated with lights. Kitchen facilities,drinking water and accommodation will be provided to devotees coming from across the country. We are not financially strong,but will collect necessary funds for the event.”

The first Shabri Kumbh Mela was organised in February 2006 at Jarsod village in the Dangs. Over 2.50 lakh devotees,VHP,Bajrang Dal and BJP leaders such as Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had attended the function,along with top leaders of the RSS.

During the past celebrations,Swami Aseemanand had declared that the fair will be organised after every three years. “The last Kumbh mela was to be held in 2009,but was cancelled due to lack of funds,” said trustee Phoolchand Kokni.