Early Times Report
SAMBA, July 2: The famous week-long Annual Swankha Mela began today at the temple of Bawa Sidh Goria Nath, a historical and religious place in Swankha village of Ramgarh, a border tehsil of Samba district. Devotees from Jammu and Kashmir, as well as Punjab, Himachal, Haryana, Delhi and other places participated in the event. They took a bath in the holy sarovar of Bawa Sidh Goria Nath ji and received blessings at his historic Samadhi. On the occasion, Deputy Commissioner, Abhishek Sharma; Senior Superintendent of Police, Samba, Benam Tosh and many dignitaries from social and political spheres received Bawa ji’s blessings and prayed. Abhishek Sharma spoke on the occasion, highlighting that the shrine is an important part of the tourism circuit of Samba district and efforts are underway to make the Sidh Goria-Bamuchak-Baba Chamliyal shrine a tourist circuit. The district administration made elaborate arrangements for the convenience of devotees, including medical facilities, drinking water and help desks. Departmental stalls for various government schemes were also installed at the venue. Mahant Bola Nath ji appreciated the efforts of the district administration for the smooth conduct of the mela, where thousands of devotees participated. Many local stalls were put in place by local vendors, which added to the economic activities of the area and enabled local trade. A Dangal (wrestling competition) will be held tomorrow at the same place. |