Chattogram Bureau :
A religious fair of the Hindu community- Shiva Chaturdashi mela will start at Chandranath Dham in Sitakunda upazila on the occasion of Shiva Chaturdashi Tithi of the followers of traditional religions. Palash Chowdhury, General Secretary of the Sitakunda Mela Committee, said the three-day fair would be held in compliance with hygiene rules from Thursday (March 11). He said that Shiva Chaturdashi Mela was introduced in Sitakunda about 300 years ago.
This has become a tradition for the followers of Hindu religions.
Millions of pilgrims from home and abroad visit the fair every year on the occasion of Falguni Chaturdashi. The members of the administration and fair committee are working to complete the fair smoothly. Due to the Corona epidemic, the number of pilgrims coming to the fair may be less this time. Even then all the preparations for organizing the fair have been completed in compliance with the hygiene rules. 400 law enforcers and 300 volunteers will be on duty at the fair. An area of one and a half kilometers of the fair is being monitored by CCTV cameras. Meanwhile, five intercity and one mail train are touching Sitakunda Railway Station for the convenience of pilgrims. Birupaksha and Chandranath temples are situated on the tops of two hills connected by Sitakunda. The Chandranath temple stands at a height of 1200 feet. Every year on the occasion of Shivchaturdashi or Shivratri in the month of Falgun, devotees from home and abroad come here. The fair is one and a half kilometers away from Sitakunda Bazaar to the hills. Shankar Math will be read first.
It is said that this is the tank that Lakshmana built with his sister Sita. Rama-Sita and Lakshmana described in Ramayana were banished here for 14 years.
Besides, there are crematoriums, Girish Dharamsala, Nani Gopal Tirtha Mandir, Bhairab Dharamsala and many other temples. the Chandranath temple on the top of the hill along the winding road to the east. From fasting, devotees come to the temples to bath Shiva with milk and coconut water.
