Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The Khandoba Yatra festival at Shri Kshetra Khandoba Temple began on Sunday, ahead of Champa Shashti. The entire temple area echoed with devotional chants from devotees and the traditional dance and singing of Waghya-Murali. The crowd resembled that of Navratri, creating a vibrant festive atmosphere.
A large number of devotees visited the temple for darshan on Sunday. On Champa Shashti, rituals such as Tali Utarne and offering Vangi-Bhat to Lord Khandoba are performed according to tradition. Devotees had queued up since early morning to participate in these rituals. Many newly married couples also visited, seeking the blessings of Lord Khandoba at the beginning of their new life together.
The main Yatra festival will formally begin in three days, but the overwhelming crowd seen on Sunday indicates that an even larger turnout is expected over the next two to three days. The Sunday holiday added to the rush, and visitors enjoyed the local food stalls to their heart’s content.
Special arrangements for crowd control, water supply and traffic management have been made by the police administration, municipal corporation and temple committee. Toy stalls and amusement rides, including Ferris wheels, have also been set up in the fairground, becoming a major attraction for children.