Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 10: The annual Mahayajnya of Bhagavaan Gopinathji was performed with full religious fervour and gaiety across the State today.
In this connection main functions were held Bhagavaan Ji’s Udaywala Bohri Ashram here and at Kharyar, Srinagar where thousands of devotees drawn from different parts of the State participated.
At Udaywala Ashram a Mahayagya started yesterday evening and it culminated with Puranahuti this afternoon. This was followed by serving of Prasad to devotees.
The function culminated late in the evening as the rush of devotees which started early in the morning to pay obeisance to Bhagvaanji swelled by the afternoon and continued upto late in the evening. The function was organized by Bhagavaan Gopi Nath Ji Trust and it had made elaborate arrangements for the pilgrims. A team of volunteers of the Ashram comprising of hundreds of youth, men and women and students rendered their services at different counters viz distribution of prashad, providing of drinking water to yatris, taking custody of their belongings and ensuring their hassle free movement.
The bhajan and kirtan which also started in the Ashram late evening yesterday continued for entire day today. The holding of Samohik evening aarti marked the culmination of the function.
The devotees were seen in long queues waiting for their turn for darshan in the Ashram premises.
Our Srinagar correspondent adds, thousands of Kashmiri Pandits from across the country and a sizable number of displaced Non Resident Indians (NRI) Pandits took part in annual Mahayajna of Jagat Guru (Jagat Kalyan) at Bhagavaan Gopinathji Ashram Kharyar, today.
Kashmiri Pandits living across the country and including United States of America performed the special Puja on the occasion. “It was after 25 years that a large number of Non Resident Indian Pandits who are settled there performed Puja,” said Veer Ji Koul, a Kashmiri Pandit.
Koul said that he saw such a huge gathering of Pandit community first time after two decades on the occasion. “I am happy to see such a huge gathering of our community here today, I met many of my friends who are presently residing in other places of the world,” Koul added.
Scores of tourists also took part in the prayers and showed their happiness over the arrangements and preparations made by the Ashram authorities and local support from Muslim community and the Government.
“We saw first time that there are Pandits in Kashmir, who perform and celebrate their festivals with full support from Muslim brothers,” said Sanjay Jha, a tourist from Chennai.
Speaking on the occasion, Anil Raina, spokesperson of the Srinagar Ashram said that the management is happy to see such a huge gathering of Pandits from outside the State on the special occasion.
Raina also said that with the settlement of Pandit community outside State, annual Mahayajna is being performed every year in Udaywala, Bohri Jammu, Amritsar, Pamposh Enclave New Delhi, Vikaspuri, West Delhi Centre, Kashmir Bhavan, Pune, Kandivilli in Mumbai and Satsang Mandals across the globe.
The traditional Prasad was offered to the devotees after the “Puran Ahuti”. Puja was started by Shushil Ji, Virender Mall and Ravi Ji Sathoo. A nocturnal Puja was also observed during the event organized by the Trust.
The other major centres where the Mahayjna was performed included Gole Gujral Jammu, Pamposh Enclave, New Delhi, Vikaspuri West Delhi, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Jallandher, Jaipur, Chambur, Kandivilli Mumbai, Balaji Temple, Sus road, Pune and Satsang mandals across the globe.
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