DH NEWS SERVICE
JAMMU, Aug 10
Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, witnessed a grand celebration of the Sathapna Divas of Shri Shani Dev (Shila) on Sunday, coinciding with the date of its installation on August 10, 2018. The Shila, a replica of the sacred Shri Shani Shingnapur Temple in Maharashtra, holds deep spiritual significance for devotees.
Lord Shani Dev Ji, revered as the sanctified form of the planet Saturn and one of the nine celestial bodies (Navagrahas), is believed to be the son of Surya Dev (Sun God) and Goddess Chhaya. Devotees worship him to seek relief from adversity and protection from life’s hardships.
The day-long celebrations commenced at 7:30 a.m. with Ganesh and Navgrah Puja followed by a sacred Hawan. Rituals included the worship (Puja) of the Trishul and sacred elephants, along with Abhishek and elaborate Shingar of all idols. The ceremonies culminated with Arti and Purnahuti, performed by eminent Pandits and Shastris.
At 1:00 p.m., a grand Bhandara was organized for the general public, attracting a large number of devotees who participated enthusiastically until late in the evening.
Head Pujari Pt. Ashwani Kumar Shastri addressed the gathering, explaining the significance of Shani Puja. He elaborated on the belief that the malefic gaze of Lord Shani is associated with grief, delays, poverty, failures, and other challenges, and that proper worship can help alleviate these difficulties.
The entire programme was conducted under the guidance of Th. Gulchain Singh Charak, Former Minister and President of the Management Trust, and was sponsored by Shri Devinder Khawle of Pune.
Prominent attendees included S/Shri S.C. Rekhi (General Secretary), Karan Singh, V.K. Abrol, Romesh Thakur, P.C. Gupta, Kapil Slathia, Gambir Dev Singh Charak, Ved Verma, Parshant Sharma, Krishan P. Gupta, Sumesh Damral, Sandeep Singh, Tarun Gupta, Col. Pushphar Sharma, Smt. Kiran Rajput, Smt. Uma Sharma, Kulbir Singh Chib, Ashok Khajuria, Pankul Vaid, and Ashok Gupta.
