Trimbakeshwar temple likely to shut for devotees for about two months before Simhastha Kumbh Mela
The Trimbakeshwar temple in Nashik may be closed to devotees from October 15 or 16 for roughly two months to allow development work and crowd planning for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela.
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Shri Kshetra Trimbakeshwar in Nashik, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, is an important pilgrimage centre where thousands of devotees come for darshan every day. With the coming Simhastha Kumbh Mela in view, a major decision to keep the temple closed to devotees is now being taken.
Under the proposed plan, devotees will not get darshan at the temple from October 15 or 16. Kumbh Mela Minister Girish Mahajan has given some instructions to the Trimbakeshwar Devasthan Trust and the district administration, and the plan is to be drawn up in line with them. The temple is said to be likely to remain shut for about two months. However, the final date and duration of the closure will be officially announced by the Devasthan Trust, and the exact date will become clear only after that announcement.
Extensive development work is to be carried out in the temple area, and crowd management also has to be planned. If large numbers of devotees visit the temple while this work is on, safety could become a concern. The temple is said to be being closed for some time to avoid situations such as accidents or a stampede.
Pitru Paksha is currently under way, and large numbers of devotees are arriving at Trimbakeshwar from different parts of the country. The temple area is crowded with people who have come for ancestral rites and other religious rituals, and the weekend holidays have added to the crowds. To reduce the strain on the administration and ensure devotees face no difficulty during darshan, all types of VIP darshan have been suspended until October 12.
Even if the temple's entrance remains closed to devotees, the religious traditions of Shri Trimbakeshwar will not be interrupted, it is said. The daily puja, the Trikal puja and other traditional rituals at the temple will continue as usual. In other words, although devotees will not be able to have direct darshan, the daily rituals inside the temple will be performed regularly.
Extensive development work has been proposed in Trimbakeshwar town and the temple area for the Simhastha Kumbh Mela. Work on road widening, infrastructure and crowd management is to be speeded up during this period. The administration's plan is that the temple's closure to devotees will allow this work and the necessary planning to be carried out more safely.
Large numbers of devotees are expected to visit Trimbakeshwar during the Kumbh Mela. The administration has therefore already begun to focus on preparations for crowd control, traffic arrangements, security and infrastructure.
