Pune: On the first Monday of Shravan, the holy site of Bhimashankar witnessed a massive influx of nearly 200,000 devotees. The worshipers braved heavy rain and thick fog to offer prayers at the sacred Shivling, chanting "Bam Bam Bhole" and "Junglevasti Bhimashankar Maharaj Ki Jai."
Bhimashankar, the sixth of the twelve Jyotirlingas, sees a significant number of visitors every year during the month of Shravan. This year, the rains added a scenic touch, drawing both devotees and nature enthusiasts.
Devotees and tourists visiting Bhimashankar enjoyed nature at places like Dimbhe Dam and Gohe Ghat. To facilitate traffic, the administration arranged five parking lots.
However, considering the crowd, all vehicles were parked near the fourth and fifth stops. To transport devotees from these stops to the bus stand, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation provided 8 minibuses and 22 large buses, minimizing waiting time for devotees.
Assistant Traffic Inspector Trainee Maruti Khaladkar and Assistant Traffic Superintendent Tukaram Pawle managed the traffic, while trainee students of the Transport Corporation managed vehicle parking at the parking lots.
The President of the Bhimashankar Devasthan Trust, Adv. Suresh Kaudare, along with other officials, managed the arrangements and addressed devotees' issues at the temple.
On the Manchar Bhimashankar road, devotees faced difficulties due to large potholes near locations such as Taleghar, Rajpur, Palke Wadi, and Mhatara Bachi Wadi, causing inconvenience on the first Monday of Shravan.
Additionally, due to the mismanagement of the MSEDCL officials, frequent power outages occurred for three to four days, plunging the temple area into darkness.
The thick fog also created significant challenges for devotees in the queue for darshan. Stray animals roaming freely on the steps caused considerable trouble for devotees. Many expressed dissatisfaction with the administration's planning.
Under the guidance of Khed Sub-Divisional Police Officer Amol Mandve, one police inspector, three assistant police inspectors, eleven sub-inspectors, 112 male police personnel, and 15 female police personnel were deployed for security.