Ahmedabd:

The festival of Dhuleti was observed across Gujarat today with traditional fervor and gaiety even as the famous Faguni poonam mela at Ranchhodrai ji temple at Dakor in central Gujarat witnessed a flood of devotees on the last day of the annual event today.

Governor O P Kohli and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani have greeted the people of Gujarat on the occasion.

At Dakor, where live darshan of the lord was being telecast on giant LED walls, a sea of devotees made a beeline at the temple. Traditional sprinkling of kesariya colour and gulal was done in the temple courtyard on the occasion.

‘An estimated around 12 to 15 lakh devotees have visited the temple during the Faguni poonam mela that ends today. Of these a large number was of those who arrived here on foot from various places,’ a temple official said adding that the timing of the temple darshan during fair was changed and was kept open for the visitors till late in the night instead of the usual closure time of 0730 pm.

In Dwarka, Shamlaji, Ambaji, Bahucharaji and other temples across Gujarat people performed puja and had darshan on the occasion of Dhuleti.

Meanwhile, in various cities, towns and rural areas including Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Surat, Valsad, Navsari Jamnagar, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Mahesana, Patan, Palanpur and Bharuch people observed Dhuleti with gaiety.

People celebrated dhuleti with cow dung and holy cow urine in Bansi Gir Gaushala near Sarkhej on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. At several places including Surat and Vallabh Vidyanagar people also used mud for the purpose. Rain dances were also organized at various places while people also celebrated Dhuleti in swimming pools. In Surat a group of youths also used tomatoes for the purpose.

In some areas including parts of Gandhinagar people also observed dry Dhuleti and used dry colours/Gulal for the purpose to give a message for saving water.

In a tragic incident on the day, two people who had gone to take a bath in Narmada river in Poicha village of Narmada district in central Gujarat drowned and died.

DeshGujarat