Jalpaiguri, July 10 -- The West Bengal government has stepped up preparations for the annual Shravan Mela at the historic Jalpesh Temple, with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari scheduled to offer prayers at the shrine on the first Monday of the holy month of Shravan, July 20. As part of a state initiative, flower petals will be showered from helicopters over Jalpesh Temple every Monday throughout Shravan.
To review the arrangements, State Information and Cultural Affairs Department Secretary Saumitra Mohan chaired a high-level meeting at the Jalpaiguri District Magistrate's office on Friday. Senior officials from the district administration and police discussed security, crowd management and other logistical arrangements for the Chief Minister's visit and the month-long fair. Following the meeting, Mohan visited Teesta Ghat, Jalpesh Temple and the fairground to inspect the preparations. He reviewed facilities for devotees, inspected entry arrangements and interacted with members of the Jalpesh Temple Trustee Board and local traders.
Speaking to reporters, Mohan said the state government aims to organise the Shravan Mela on a much larger scale while preserving the temple's heritage and religious significance. "I have visited Jalpesh as the Chief Minister's representative to review the preparations. Every effort is being made to ensure the fair is organised in a grand yet traditional manner," he said. The Chief Minister's proposed visit is expected to attract a massive turnout of devotees, posing a major challenge for security and crowd management. Jalpesh Temple Committee Secretary Girindranath Deb said the committee would coordinate closely with the police and district administration, while trained volunteers would assist in managing the crowd.
Although Mohan did not comment on the Chief Minister's itinerary, Jalpaiguri MLA Anantadev Adhikari and Rajganj MLA Dinesh Sarkar confirmed the July 20 visit. They also said the state government would arrange helicopter flower showers over Jalpesh and Tarakeswar temples every Monday during the holy month of Shravan.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.