The Digital Mirror of India
The 62nd Foundation Day of Kainchi Dham in Nainital is being celebrated with devotion.
Over 40,000 devotees visited by 10 AM, with the crowd expected to exceed 2 lakh by evening.
Authorities have implemented extensive arrangements, including shuttle bus services and traffic restrictions.
Devotees gather at Kainchi Dham for its 62nd Foundation Day · NewsDarpan AI
The 62nd Foundation Day of Kainchi Dham in Nainital is being observed on Monday with devotion and enthusiasm. Devotees began gathering as early as 3 AM, with some spending the night on the roads. By 10 AM, over 40,000 devotees had visited the temple for Baba Neem Karoli Maharaj's darshan. The ashram, established on June 15, 1964, also marks the consecration of Hanumanji's idol on the same day. Baba's famous Malpua prasad is being distributed to devotees, with preparations involving 40-45 artisans starting four days ago. Authorities expect the total crowd to exceed 2 lakh by the end of the day.
District Magistrate Lalit Mohan Rayal stated that shuttle bus services have been arranged from Nainital, Bhimtal, Haldwani, Bhowali, and Kathgodam to manage the influx of devotees. Restrictions have been placed on vehicles entering the area, and parking zones along the route have been equipped with drinking water and sanitation facilities. Heavy vehicles have been banned in Nainital district, and traffic jams were reported on Bhimtal, Haldwani, and Nainital roads.
Over 1,500 police personnel, including 3 SP/SSP, 7 Additional SPs, 14 COs, and teams from LIU, BDS, SDRF, ATS, and SSB, have been deployed for crowd management. SSP Manjunath TC confirmed the arrangements.
Local residents and devotees from NCR, western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan have arrived in large numbers. Vijay Pratap Singh Lodhi from Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh, expressed joy and peace after visiting the temple, urging others to experience the spiritual atmosphere.
Pradeep Shah, the head of Kainchi Dham, highlighted Baba Neem Karoli Maharaj's legacy, noting that devotees from India and abroad visit the temple. He emphasized Baba's preference for Malpua as prasad for its ease of distribution among large crowds.