Ranchi: With lakhs of devotees expected at Ranchi’s Pahari Mandir during the month-long Shravan festival starting July 30, the district administration has intensified preparations to strengthen civic amenities, crowd management and safety at the hill shrine.Glass-based puja items will be completely prohibited inside the temple during the festival to prevent accidents amid heavy footfall. The administration has appealed to devotees not to bring offerings packed in glass containers and urged shopkeepers around the temple not to sell puja materials in glass packaging during Shravan.Officials are speeding up work on drinking water facilities, toilets, lighting, seating along the staircase, paver blocks on approach paths and safer access routes. Authorities have also been directed to ensure sanitation, security and traffic management so that devotees do not face inconvenience during darshan.DC Manjunath Bhajantri said all works must be completed within the stipulated time while maintaining quality standards. “Pahari Baba is the centre of faith for Ranchi residents and lakhs of devotees visit the temple during Shravan. Safe access to the shrine, adequate drinking water, toilets, lighting and seating arrangements are our priority. Every effort should be made to ensure devotees have a smooth and hassle-free experience,” he said.Ward 29 councillor Sunil Yadav said parking arrangements are being planned by utilising available approach roads around the temple to reduce vehicular congestion. However, the narrow entrance to the shrine gets heavily crowded, especially on Mondays during Shravan. “I will take up the issue with the authorities and propose an additional entry point so that devotees can enter and exit more smoothly,” he said.Preparations are also underway at other major Shiva shrines. Mayor Roshni Khalkho recently directed RMC to ensure cleanliness and basic amenities at Chutia’s Ikkiso Mahadev Dham and clear solid waste from the adjoining Harmu river stretch before the festival.
