Baba Baidyanath Dham witnesses heavy rush of pilgrims during Shravani Mela

Kolkata, Aug 10 (IANS) A massive rush of pilgrims is being witnessed at railway stations around Baba Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar, Jharkhand, and Tarakeswar in West Bengal during the ongoing Shravani Mela. Baba Baidyanath Dham is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in the country, and millions of devotees flock there during this time of the year. Eastern Railway (ER) officials said the rush is much higher this time.

According to them, over 2.8 lakh pilgrims used railway facilities on Sunday, August 9, 2026, alone, which was the 11th day of the Mela. While the footfall at Jasidih station fell by about 13.63 per cent compared to 2025, the rush at other stations went up significantly.

“Jasidih catered to 72,890 passengers (compared to 84,392 in 2025), while Sultanganj recorded 1,06,640 inward passengers (a 39.43 per cent growth from 76,481 in 2025). Basukinath witnessed a growth of 9.47 per cent, serving 17,850 passengers compared to 16,306 in 2025. Deoghar also saw an increase of 11.08 per cent, with 21,582 passengers compared to 19,429 in 2025,” an ER official said.

Extensive arrangements have been made for pilgrims this year. Apart from special trains, healthcare support has been provided to thousands of devotees. Special holding areas have been created to prevent stampede‑like situations due to the heavy rush. Additional surveillance equipment has been installed, and the situation is being monitored round‑the‑clock, officials said.

Other arrangements include more automatic ticket vending machines with operators. “Medical aid was provided to 632 pilgrims at Basukinath, 301 at Jasidih, 189 at Deoghar, 145 at Tarakeshwar, 90 at Baidyanath Dham, and 82 at Sultanganj. Wheelchair assistance was extended to elderly and disabled pilgrims, including eight wheelchairs at Tarakeshwar, seven at Jasidih, and one each at Deoghar, Basukinath and Sultanganj,” the official said.

He also highlighted that ER has run 32 special trains with 478 coaches at Jasidih, 18 with 234 coaches at Deoghar, 10 with 120 coaches at Basukinath, and six at Baidyanath Dham. Six pairs of special trains were run at Sultanganj. Regular trains were also augmented with additional coaches.

Dedicated staff and medical teams are working round‑the‑clock at all key stations to ensure every devotee receives prompt assistance and a hassle‑free journey, ER CPRO Shibram Majhi said.

–IANS

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