Like every year, millions of Hindu pilgrims from remote parts of the country will be gathering at the Shiv Chaturdashi Mela or Maha Shivratri festival that will start today amid huge enthusiasm and religious sentiment at Sitakunda. Marking the day, they will fast the entire day and worship Shiva, the god of destruction, to mark the divine union of Shiva and Shakti. This is the biggest fair of the Hindu community in the country.
Every year, the fair is held on Shiva Chaturdashi Tithi. Devotees entering the temple, situated on the top of the Seta Hill with fruits, flowers, milk and other items needed to worship the Hindu God Shiva. During Shivratri they visited the ancient temple to worship Shiva and pray for the good of mankind.
The fair premises is located at Sitakund Upazila Sadar about 37 kilometer west of the port city Chattogram. From Sitakunda bazaar, a spiral-curved road leads to Chandranath up the hill, which is two kilometers away and 1200 feet above from the market. There are a good number of temples is situated on both of the ways to the hilltop.
Deepak Chakraborty, the worshiper of the Sitakunda Shambhunath Temple said, devotees, performed pooja to the satisfy Mahadev. The best time to satisfy Mahadev is Shiv Chaturdashi’s Tithi, that’s why thousands of devotees gather here every year.
Palash Chowdhury, general secretary of the fair organizing committee said, “This year the fair will start on Wednesday (February 20) and continue till Saturday. We have an estimate that 12 to 15 lakh local and foreign devotees will gather here. We have taken all measures so that devotees can offer their veneration smoothly”.
Besides the religious festivity, local fair on the temple premises is also organizing, where shopkeepers sell various clay toys and utensils along with various appetizing food items.