PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Almora
Preparations have intensified for the Maa Nanda Devi Fair, which holds immense historical and religious importance for Uttarakhand, to be held from the second week of September. For crafting the traditional idols of Maa Nanda and Sunanda for the fair, the Nanda Devi Temple Committee functionaries reached a private residence near Khutkuni Bhairav Temple in Laxmeshwar, where suitable banana trees were selected for idol- making. They inspected as per the rituals and selected banana trees for this year’s idols. On September 17 evening, they will visit the temple while the next morning, these banana trees will be taken to the temple complex in a procession, in line with the rituals, where the idols will be crafted.
As per the Uttarakhand folk tradition, the idols of Goddess Nanda and Sunanda are crafted from banana trees, which are considered to have special religious and cultural significance.
The committee officials said that all preparations for the fair are being made in a phased manner. The outline for idol construction, worship, procession and other religious and cultural events is being finalised to facilitate a well-managed fair, they added.
Like every year, a large number of devotees, as well as tourists from India and abroad, are expected to attend the Nanda Devi Fair. The temple committee has appealed to everyone for their cooperation in its successful organisation.
