Lakhs of Hindu pilgrims thronged the Chandranath Dham at Sitakunda upazila in Chittagong on the last of the three-day long Shibchaturdashi Fair, one of the main religious festivals of Hindu community, yesterday.
Sitakunda Shrine Committee organises the fair here every year on the 14th of the dark fortnight of Bangla month Falgun on the occasion of Shib puja (worship of God Shiva).
Around 45 lakh pilgrims from across the country gathered here this year from two to three days before the fair, said the committee sources.
Climbing up some 3,500 steps, the pilgrims reached Chandranath Temple, located on top of the about 1,250 feet high Chandranath Hill, to perform their religious rituals in a bid to bag virtue to their credit.
A significant number of elderly people were seen climbing up the stairs on Monday, the day of Shibchaturdashi puja.
Pilgrims alleged that they have to suffer a lot in climbing up the hill as the most of the stairs are almost dilapidated. Some pilgrims were even reportedly injured while climbing up on Monday.
Moreover, there is no rest place in between the long queue of stairs for pilgrims to catch a breath.
Also, pilgrims complained that muggers and pickpockets were active in the fair area.
Asked, Advocate Sukhamay Chakrabarty, general secretary of Sitakunda Shrine Committee, said the committee repaired the stairs earlier and provided electricity facility all the way up to the hilltop during the fair.
Since, the stairs are built on the hilly area, they do not last long, he said.
“We do not get any fund from the government and have to do the repair works with our own money,” he added.
He said the committee has submitted a Tk 9 crore-worth project proposal to the ministry for repair of the stairs and development of the temple.
Although the religious festival officially concluded yesterday, the fair will continue for 15 days more, he added.
Contacted, Nur Mohammad, officer-in-charge of Sitakunda Police Station, said, “We have deployed 450 police personnel on the fair premises.”
“We have arrested 20 pickpockets on Monday from the area,” he said, adding, police did not receive any complaint of mugging and pickpocketing so far.