Ayodhya Hilltop temple monsoon fair attract crowds

parvat (Faizabad) (U.P), Aug.17 (ANITens of thousands of Hindus have been flocking Ayodhya Maniparvat Temple, located at the hillock in Uttar Pradesh, to pray at the Lord Rama temple and to attend the accompanying monsoon fair.

By Amit Kumar

Maniparvat (Faizabad) (U.P), Aug.17 : Tens of thousands of Hindus have been flocking Ayodhya Maniparvat Temple, located at the hillock in Uttar Pradesh, to pray at the Lord Rama temple and to attend the accompanying monsoon fair.

"Sawan Mela Jhoola" fair that continues for over two-weeks.

On the third day of the second half of Shravan, idols of Lord Rama, brother Lakshmana and wife Sita are placed in swings in the temples. The idols are taken to Maniparvat, where the idols are placed on the swing attached to branches of the trees. Later, the deities are brought back to temples.

Also, children dressed as Lord Rama and Sita play on the swings .

Ramcharan Das, the chief priest at the Ayodhya Maniparvat temple, claims that the Sawan Mela Jhoola festival is being celebrated since the Treta Yuga (the second out of the four ages described in Hindu mythology). This year it commenced today and will continue for 15 days.

This hillock is 65 feet-high . and the temple is appropriately named as Maniparvat or a jewel like hill.

Colourful tableaux of Rama and Sita are taken out from temples around to the hilltop where the idols are worshipped.

Kanchanlata, one of the devotees, said: "We pray to the God that whoever comes here and has a glimpse of the swing should attain salvation and liberation from the birth cycle."

Legend has it that it was while Lord Hanuman was carrying the hill, bearing the "Sanjeevani Booti" (the life saving herb), for Rama's unconscious brother Lakshman from Himalayas, a portion of it broke off and fell in Ayodhya.

The fair will last till August 28, the day when Hindus will celebrate "Raksha Bandhan", the siblings' festival.

ANI