Bharmour: The sacred doors of the ancient and revered Kartik Swami Temple in Kugti, located in the tribal region of Bharmour in Himachal Pradesh, were ceremoniously opened to devotees at 11 am on Sunday, coinciding with the festival of Baisakhi. The temple gates were unlocked following traditional rituals including a havan, chanting of mantras, and special prayers conducted by the temple priests.
In a significant spiritual sign, the copper vessel (surai) placed in the temple’s sanctum sanctorum was found filled with water, which, as per local belief, indicates a year of good harvest and protection from calamities for the region.
More than 10,000 devotees reportedly visited the shrine on the opening day, leading to major traffic congestion on the Bharmour-Kugti road. Long queues of vehicles extended for kilometers near the village, as inadequate parking and narrow roadways again became a major challenge. Despite the deployment of police personnel, traffic mismanagement caused considerable inconvenience to pilgrims.
Temple priest Machhlu Ram Sharma and local Zila Parishad member Anil Dhakog raised serious concerns about the administrative preparedness, highlighting that despite last year’s heavy footfall, key arrangements like traffic control, crowd management, and basic facilities remained lacking.
One major issue was the insufficient deployment of security personnel at the temple premises, which affected crowd regulation during peak hours of darshan.
Additionally, the lack of a proper kitchen building within the temple complex posed difficulties for volunteers preparing and serving meals.
Due to overcrowding, many pilgrims had to offer prayers from outside the temple premises and return without getting a close darshan of Lord Kartikeya. Notably, the event saw a significant influx of devotees from Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
MLA Dr. Janak Raj of Bharmour also marked his presence at the temple on this auspicious occasion. Local residents extended warm hospitality by setting up free food stalls along the trekking route to the temple, distributing tea, fruits, dry fruits, and snacks to the devotees.
A massive community feast (bhandara) was organized by the Bharmour Kartik Sewa Dal and local volunteers, where thousands of devotees partook in the holy offering.
Mahinder Patial
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