▪ Devotees were filled with devotion while chanting the praises of Shri Guru Ram Rai Ji Maharaj and Shri Mahant Devendra Dass Ji Maharaj
▪ The new holy flagpole brought to Shri Darbar Sahib was worshipped according to traditional rituals
Friday on the sacred land of Doon was filled with devotion, faith, and reverence for the Guru. Amid chants in praise of Shri Guru Ram Rai Ji Maharaj and Shri Mahant Devendra Dass Ji Maharaj, the new sacred 94-foot-tall holy flagpole (the new Shri Jhande Ji) was brought to Shri Darbar Sahib with great devotion and reverence. Thousands of devotees from across the country and abroad gathered in Doon city to witness this divine and historic moment. The entire Doon valley appeared immersed in the colors of faith, devotion, and reverence for the Guru.
From the early hours of Friday morning (Brahma Muhurta), Sangat devotees began arriving at Shri Guru Ram Rai Public School, Bombay Bagh. The devotees waited eagerly for this sacred moment with deep faith and devotion in their hearts. Here, the Sajjade Gaddi Nasheen of Darbar Shri Guru Ram Rai Ji Maharaj, Shri Mahant Devendra Dass Ji Maharaj, blessed the devotees with his holy presence and darshan. In his spiritual presence, the entire atmosphere was filled with divine energy and devotion.
Under the sacred leadership of Shri Mahant Devendra Das Ji Maharaj, Sangat devotees offered prayers at the feet of the Guru. Amid chants glorifying the Guru, at around 8:00 a.m. the Sangat devotees lifted the new sacred flagpole on their shoulders with deep reverence and devotion and began their procession towards Shri Darbar Sahib. As soon as the Sangat devotees carried the sacred flagpole on their shoulders, the entire atmosphere echoed with thunderous chants of “Shri Guru Ram Rai Ji Maharaj Ki Jai,” “Shri Mahant Devendra Dass Ji Maharaj Ki Jai,” and “Jai Shri Jhande Ji Maharaj.”
On this occasion, Shri Mahant Devendra Dass Ji Maharaj said that Shri Jhanda Mahotsav is a sacred fair symbolizing love, harmony, brotherhood, humanity, devotion, and unwavering faith. This fair, by the grace and blessings of the Guru, unites people of all religions, communities, and sections of society. He said that devotees from different religions and regions gather at the holy court of Shri Guru Ram Rai Ji Maharaj to seek his blessings. With the immense grace of the Guru and the deep devotion of the devotees, this sacred fair grows more magnificent, divine, and spiritual every year. Like every year, the Shri Jhande Ji fair will be celebrated this year as well with full devotion and faith, spreading the glory of the Guru in all directions, and devotees will bow their heads in reverence at the Guru’s feet.
When this sacred procession reached the Shri Darbar Sahib premises, the joy and devotion among the devotees reached its peak. On Friday morning, the entire Pathri Bagh area turned deeply devotional. Amid an extraordinary blend of faith, enthusiasm, joy, and devotion, as soon as the devotees lifted the sacred flagpole on their shoulders from the premises of Shri Guru Ram Rai Public School, Bombay Bagh, the entire area resonated with chants glorifying the Guru.
The devotees carried the sacred flagpole through THDC Chowk, in front of Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital, and reached Lal Pul Chowk. From there, the holy procession passed through Matawala Bagh and Saharanpur Chowk, finally reaching Shri Darbar Sahib at around 9:30 a.m. with great devotion and reverence.
Along every route through which the devotees carried the sacred flagpole, residents of Doon stood with flowers in their hands to welcome them with devotion. Thousands of local residents had been waiting since morning to witness this divine moment. Wherever the procession passed, people bowed their heads in reverence to the Guru and showered flowers to welcome the devotees.
At several places along the route, arrangements were made by devotees for shabeel (sweet water service), cold drinking water, fruits, and other prasad langars for the devotees.
Notably, several skilled craftsmen had been working with dedication for nearly two months to prepare the new sacred flagpole. With the grand preparations for the historic Shri Jhande Ji fair underway, the arrival of devotees at Shri Darbar Sahib has been increasing steadily. This year, there is special enthusiasm and devotion among devotees regarding the installation of the new Shri Jhande Ji.
Since late Thursday evening, there has been special activity in the Shri Darbar Sahib premises. Thousands of devotees from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and other nearby states had already arrived by Thursday evening and were paying obeisance and seeking blessings at the Guru’s court.
Historic Shri Jhanda Mahotsav to Begin from March 8
The historic Shri Jhande Ji will be installed on March 8, marking the formal commencement of the Shri Jhanda Mahotsav. Under the leadership of Shri Mahant Devendra Dass Ji Maharaj, the 94-foot-tall Shri Jhande Ji will be hoisted on March 8. The management of Shri Darbar Sahib estimates that lakhs of devotees will gather to witness this sacred moment.
According to Vijay Gulati, Fair Officer of the Shri Jhanda Mela Organizing Committee, adequate arrangements have been made for the accommodation of devotees. Facilities have been arranged at Shri Guru Ram Rai Public School Bindal, Talab, Raja Road, Bhandari Bagh, Patel Nagar, and other major dharamshalas across Dehradun. Arrangements for around a dozen langars have also been made. Under security and health arrangements, a Mela Police Station has been established and the Mela Hospital at Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital, Patel Nagar, has also been made operational.