Preparations on for Navratra Mela at Mansa Devi shrine

With the Navratra Mela to start from March 16,preparations have begun at the Mata Mansa Devi shrine.

While on the one hand,special enclosed pandals with a capacity of 500 people each would be set up for devotees who come for a nightstay and want to rest,on the other hand,barcode reading machines would be installed at the VVIP and the VIP gates so that the VIP cards are not reused. “This is the first time we’re introducing barcode reading machines so that VIP cards are not reused time and again. The machine would also help put a check on the use of any duplicate or fake VIP cards. Besides this,every year,we have several lakh devotees who come to the shrine from distant places and find it difficult to stay at night due to limited space available at the Shrine Board Dharamshala,” said Panchkula DC Pankaj Yadav. It was also added that at present,32 CCTV cameras were put up at five different places for security.

“Not only is this for the convenience of devotees,officials of the PWD (B and R) have been directed to finish construction work of the MDC railway underpass before March 15 so that it is thrown open before the Navratra mela starts,” said Yadav.

While Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda would be coming for inauguration,the shrine board has invited Anoop Jalota on March 19 to sing bhajans.