DH NEWS SERVICE
jammu, Mar 16
A joint meeting of the Purmandal-Utterbehni Shrines Development Committee, Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir Management Trust, Dharmarth Trust, Dogra Sadar Sabha J&K, various temple committees, and representatives of the administration was held today under the chairmanship of Th. Gulchain Singh Charak, President of Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir Management Trust, Dogra Sadar Sabha J&K, and Purmandal-Utterbehni Shrines Development Committee. The meeting, held at Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir Complex, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, aimed to finalize the arrangements for the 31st Chhari Mubarak Yatra to Purmandal Shrines, which is scheduled for Chaitra Chaturdashi on March 28, 2025. After detailed discussions, several key decisions were made to ensure the smooth conduct of the Yatra. Proper transport arrangements will be made for devotees, particularly from Purmandal Morh to Purmandal-Utterbehni Shrines, with coordination from the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) and Traffic Police. The Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department will ensure drinking water and electricity facilities en route and for the three-day congregation at Purmandal. Cleanliness drives in Devika and around the temples at Purmandal and Uttarbehni will be managed by the Municipal Committee Bari-Brahmana and the Tourism Department. Additionally, the Tourism Authority will oversee the provision of washrooms along the banks of Devika.
To maintain law and order, the concerned police authorities will deploy necessary personnel. The Public Works Department (PWD) will undertake repairs of damaged road sections leading to the shrines. The Nodal Officer of Samba will coordinate with all concerned departments to ensure seamless arrangements for the Yatra, which is expected to witness a large gathering of devotees at the historical shrines of Purmandal and Uttarbehni.
A special Chhari Pooja will be performed on March 27, 2025, at 5:00 PM at Shri Ranbireshwar Mandir in Jammu, under the arrangement of Dharmarth Trust. On March 28, 2025, the Holy Chhari Yatra will commence from Ranbireshwar Mandir at 7:00 AM, led by Mahatma Rishi Ban and other Mahatmas. After performing Pooja Archana at Shri Raghunath Temple, Jammu, the Holy Maces will be taken to Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, Gandhi Nagar, where a grand Pooja will be conducted.
Following this, the Chharis will proceed in a religious procession, joined by a large number of devotees, passing through Mahadev Mandir Gandhi Nagar, Shiv Mandir Trikuta Nagar, Shiv Mandir Greater Kailash, Shri Narsing Dev Mandir, and Data Ranpat Dev Mandir Birpur. A special reception will be organized at Kharah Madana by members of the Muslim and Sikh communities, led by Haji Bashir Ahmed Malik and Sh. Khatab Hussain. The Yatra will then pass through Mandal and other areas before reaching the Purmandal Shrines.
Upon arrival, Mahatmas and other representatives will perform a special Pooja at the historic Shiv Temple in Purmandal, and the Holy Chharis will be placed in the Mandir Complex for darshan by the general public. Devotees are invited to participate in the Yatra as per the scheduled programme.
Prominent attendees of the meeting included S.C. Rekhi (General Secretary, Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mandir Management Trust), the Administrative Officer of Dharamarth Trust, Col. Karan Singh (Vice President, Dogra Sadar Sabha J&K), Romesh Thakur, Kulbhushan Bali, P.C. Gupta, Kapil Slathia, Ved Verma, Parshant Sharma, Sumesh Damral, Kulbir Singh, Pankul Vaid, Tarun Gupta, and representatives from the Bhandara Committee Bari-Brahmana, Purmandal-Utterbehni Shrines Development Committee, Data Ranpat Dev Committee, Narsing Dev Mandir Birpur, among other prominent personalities.
