Organisations continue to hold ‘bhandaras’ at Magh Mela camps

Prayagraj: Continuing the tradition of feeding devotees during the 44-day Magh Mela, several religious, social and spiritual organisations are holding bhandaras (community feasts) at their camps.
Prominent organisations like Om Namay Shivay, Charkhi Dadri Ashram and Tapasvi Nagar are holding community feasts round-the-clock for seers, saints and pilgrims.
Individuals too are organising community feasts at parade, sector 3, 4 and 5 of the mela campus to serve pilgrims.
From serving breakfast to meals, organisations are offering puri-kachuri, daal chawal, paneer kofta, hari matar, poha, khichari and kheer to devotees.
The devotees are served basmati rice, hybrid flour and organic vegetables at the ‘anna kshetra’ of Om Namay Shivay.
Pujya Guru Ji of Om Namay Shivay organisation, serving devotees for past four decades at mela campus, said: “We aim that not a single devotee should return empty stomach. Serving devotees at anna kshetra gives satisfaction and encourages us to do good.” He added that devotees, after covering miles, arrive on the mela campus to take a holy dip and when one serves them, it is a real way of earning ‘punya’.
Charkhi Dadri ashram’s Pithdhishwar Swami Brahmashram Maharaj said: “Volunteers are serving breakfast, lunch and dinner to devotees who come from far flung states to seek salvation. The community feast would be continued till Maghi Purnima.” Swami Gopal Das at Tapsavi Nagar said: “Every day, scores of saints, seers, devotees and employees of different government departments attend the bhandara and accept the prasad.” Saints have also planned to organise mega community feast on main snan days.