Varanasi: Thousands of couples, including those praying for children and those whose wishes have already been fulfilled, took a holy dip in Lolark Kund on the occasion of Lolark Chhath on Thursday.Devotees from different parts of the country began arriving at Lolark Kund from Wednesday, and their numbers continued to swell through the night. As the crowd increased, pressure on the barricades around the kund and the approach routes also mounted. The queue of devotees stretched for several kilometres, from Shivala to beyond Sonarpura crossing.The festival, observed on the sixth day of the Bhadrapad month, witnessed elaborate security and crowd-management arrangements. Barricades were installed around Lolark Kund as well as on the routes leading to the shrine to regulate the movement of devotees.Commissioner of Police Mohit Agrawal inspected the arrangements as devotees started gathering on Wednesday evening. By the early hours of Thursday, devotees had lined up along a nearly five-kilometre-long barricaded route and began making their way through the narrow lanes towards the holy kund.At midnight, following the aarti of Lolarkeshwar Mahadev, the gate of Lolark Kund was opened for general devotees, triggering a sudden surge in the crowd. Couples, often holding each other’s hands, moved towards the kund. After descending the steps, they took three dips in the sacred water.As part of the ritual, devotees discarded a fruit or vegetable along with the clothes and jewellery they had been wearing before returning from the kund. The bathing ritual continued until late Thursday night. Temple priests said Lolark Kund attracts devotees from across the country, particularly couples seeking the blessing of children. They added that those whose wishes are fulfilled after performing the ritual at the kund also return to take a dip and express their gratitude to the deity.The festival also transformed the surrounding lanes into temporary community spaces. Devotees set up makeshift stoves in the lanes of Bhadaini and Assi areas, where cooking and preparation of offerings began from the morning.With the Ganga water level having risen, less space was available at the ghats. As a result, devotees occupied the lanes and higher areas around the ghats to prepare food and offerings.Box ItemChhathi of Aghoracharya Baba Keenaram celebrated: At Baba Keenaram Sthal in Ravindrapuri area here, the revered Aghorpeeth witnessed a vast gathering of devotees for Lolark Chhath, also celebrating the Chhathi (sixth-day ceremony) of Aghoracharya Baba Keenaram. After morning cleaning and daily aarti, thousands waited for darshan of the samadhis and the present 11th Peethadhishwar, Aghoracharya Baba Siddharth Gautam Ram, regarded by devotees as Baba Keenaram Ji’s re-manifest form. As he emerged at 9 am, bells, damru, conch sounds and chants of “Har Har Mahadev” filled the premises. Devotees remained disciplined, offered prayers, took darshan, and received prasad with deep faith and devotion throughout the day there.
