PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Jyotirmath
A Mahapanchayat held in Nandanagar on Monday decided that a ‘Badi Jat’ of Nanda Devi will be held in 2026. A day after a meeting held elsewhere in the Chamoli district resulted in the announcement that the Nanda Devi Raj Jat will be held in 2027, a major aspect of the decision taken in the meeting on Monday was that instead of the Nanda Raj Jat, this major ritual religious trek will now be called the Nanda Ki Badi Jat or the Ghenti Jat.
In the Mahapanchayat held at Kurud village in Chamoli district, it was clarified that the ritual trek will be held in August-September. Rejecting statements made earlier about the Yatra being deferred, devotees stressed that they will continue this ancient tradition without fail this year. Meanwhile, a Badi Jat Samiti was formed to ensure the successful organisation of the Yatra. This committee comprises members from 484 villages of the region along with public representatives and temple committee members. According to the locals, this step has been taken to empower the locals for the management of the pilgrimage.
Agreeing to the demand of representatives of the Siddhpeeth Kurud Mandir Samiti, it was decided that the formal start of the Yatra will be from the Kurud Mandir. Those who addressed the gathering stressed that Kurud is the main place of the goddess and hence the Yatra is centered around this site. The detailed outline of the Yatra will be finalised on the occasion of Vasant Panchami on January 23.
