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Journalism of Courage
PATIALA, MARCH 24: Thousands of devotees today thronged the Goddess Kali Temple to pay obeisance on the occasion of Ashtami. There were serpentine queues outside the temple, even before the crack of dawn. In fact, small-time vendors had put up stalls in the late night itself and devotees started queuing up outside the temple after midnight.
There was enthusiasm among the devotees, especially from rural areas who came carrying bottles of country liquor and some carried lambs to be offered for sacrifice to the Goddess to seek her blessings.
By morning, the queue had crossed the Sheranwala Gate area and till late evening there was an endless rush of visitors to the temple. The temple had been decorated and buntings and ornamental lights gave an impressive look to this temple, which was built during the days of the Maharajas.
Various religious groups, like Shiv Shakti Dal and the All-India Hindu Students’ Federation, had made elaborate arrangements for the langar and refreshments for the devotees.
The district police had taken a series of measures to regulate vehicular traffic in view of the huge rush of devotees.
BATALA: In an unusual bonhomie witnessed at the two-day fair, animated devotees thronged the sacred samadhi of Baba Rode Shah clutching bottles of liquor as offering for grant of boon.Thousands of devotees from far and near converged at Bhoma village, near here, to pay obeisance to Baba Rode Shah.
While male devotees offered liquor to the samadhi yesterday, at the concluding day today only females were allowed to pay obeisance.
During the course of the fair, devotees were seen making way to the samadhi with bottles and other containers full of liquor or lahan, which is offered at the shrine this liquor is then distributed among the devotees, both females and males, who drink liquor as prashad’.
