Prachī Ārati Held at Deuli
As per ancient lore, the Prachi River is said to be a thousand years older than the Ganga. To raise public awareness about its spiritual significance and to revive this nearly extinct sacred river, a collaborative effort by the Prachi Sanskriti Suraksha Parishad and Prachi Parikrama Charitable Trust was launched under the guidance of Paramahansa Prajnanananda Giri Maharaj. Beginning Friday, a Prachi Parikrama Padayatra (pilgrimage by foot) was initiated from the famous Andha Kapileswar Shiva Temple located in the Prachi valley.
The pilgrims visited numerous significant religious sites along the river’s path, including the Go Karneshwar Temple, Radhakanta Matha in Niali Nuagaon, Shobhaneswar Shiva Temple, Baba Arttatrana Gadi, Musibaba Matha, Rameswar Shiva Temple in Tola, Somnath Shiva Temple in Jalarpur, Madhabananda Jiyu Temple in Madhav village, Kathakuha Mahavir in Pradhansahi, Angeshwar Shiva Temple in Pitapada, Betenda, Grameswar Shiva Temple in Nibharan, and the renowned Maa Mangala Temple in Kakatpur.
As per ancient texts, it is believed that Maa Mangala manifested from the Prachi River. Hence, after seeking blessings from the goddess and receiving her divine command, the padayatris reached Deuli Math in the evening, popularly known as the Endudisala of Lord Jagannath. There, a cultural event titled Prachi Pratibha Anveshana was held where meritorious students were awarded certificates and prizes.
Following the award ceremony, the Prachī Ārati (ceremonial worship of the Prachi River) was conducted at the Deuli Math ghat. Later in the night, a Satsang (spiritual discourse and gathering) was organized in the math premises, after which the padayatris spent the night there.
This padayatra witnessed participation from numerous saints, ascetics, devotees, historians, researchers, environmentalists, and heads of various mathas and temples from across the Prachi valley. As the pilgrims passed through villages along the riverbank, locals welcomed them with garlands, chanting of Haribol, Hulahuli, and offerings of betel and water as tokens of respect.
Among the prominent spiritual leaders who joined the yatra were Prajnanananda Giri Maharaj, Gothada Mahant Chintamani Parbat Maharaj, Radhaballav Mahant Ramkrushna Das Maharaj, Damodar Das (Head of Nuamath), Babaji Ram Das, Brahmachari Satyananda Das Maharaj from Naugaon, Baba Dinabandhu Das, Sudhananda Giri Maharaj, Parshuramkshetra Mahant Jagannath Das, Mahant Dibyakrishna Das Maharaj, Mahant Trilochan Das, Samarpanananda Giri, Akhandananda, Nand Baba, Pandit Chittaranjan Mishra (Secretary of Vedic Brahmin Parishad), Babaji Brajabandhu Das, Raj Kishore Nanda (Nand Baba), engineer Durgacharan Mishra of Prachi Suraksha Samiti, and monks and Brahmacharis of the Kriyayoga Ashram.
A notable number of foreign devotees also participated in this sacred padayatra.
