Tuesday, 10 SEPTEMBER 2024 | PNS | NAINITAL
The second day of the 122nd Ma Nanda Devi Mahotsav saw devotees bringing plaintains from nearby Raukhad village to Nainital on Monday. The plants were worshipped at the temples of the goddess at Sukhatal and Tallital before being brought to the city in a ceremonial procession. The plantains were welcomed in the Naina Devi temple and ritually worshipped. These plantains will be used on Tuesday to create the representations of goddesses Nanda and Sunanda.
This fair was formally inaugurated on Sunday which also saw the group of devotees departing for Raukhad to collect the plantains. After ritual worship on Sunday night, the group departed from the village with the plantains on the next day and reached Nainital on Monday afternoon. The group was welcomed by locals at Sukhatal, from where the plantains were taken on a vehicle to the temple of the goddess on Haldwani Road. The plants were ritually worshipped there and then carried to Naina Devi temple in Nainital in a procession which passed through various parts of Nainital town. Kumaon commissioner Deepak Rawat also reached Nainital to pay obeisance to the goddess at the fair. Inspecting the Mela area, he said that the arrangements for the event have been improving consistently. He said that various development works will be undertaken to improve the condition of Nainital city. Rawat also appealed to the public to cooperate for making the Nanda Devi Mahotsav better and grander. Representing the organising body, Sri Ram Sevak Sabha, its present Manoj Sah, general secretary Jagdish Chandra Bawadi and others were also present on the occasion along with a large number of locals and devotees.
