Thousands gather at Bhuvan Pahar, Siddheshwar Shiv Bari: Barak Valley in Shivratri mood

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Saree clad women with wood apple, milk, flowers in their hand, will be a common visual today on the streets of Barak Valley. Today on Shivratri, people fast till they offer milk to Lord Shiva. There is a superstitious belief that if you fast and worship Lord Shiva today, a girl can get a husband as good as the god himself. So, the enthusiasm around Shivratri is always on a high, as people of all ages devote themselves in the celebrations. In Barak Valley there are several temples where Lord Shiva is worshiped but Shivratri witnesses tens of thousands marching to the temple located on top of the Bhuvan Pahar (Mountain) and that continues to stay at the focal point. Apart from Bhuvan Pahar, Siddheshwar Shiv Bari in Badarpur, and Baram Baba Ashram in Silcoorie, also see huge gathering of devotees.

Bhuvan situated in the outskirts of Silchar has a temple of Lord Shiva on top of it, and devotees trek around seven kilometers of slope to reach the temple. Every year, the numbers keep increasing, the road to the temple has also improved significantly and yet it continues to be a steep track. There is a pond on top of the mountain where devotees  take a dip before offering milk to Lord Shiva. Track starts from Motinagar, located in the Sonai Area and it takes about four to five hours in average speed, to reach the temple. There is a cave too on the top of the mountain, that needs an hour of trekking to reach and explore it.  Devotees trek with sticks in their hand for support, slogans like, “Bom Bom Khaiya Bom Na Khaiya Bom,” and “Bhole Baba Par Lagao Trishul Dhaari Shakti Jagao,” are used as motivators.

Apart from pilgrims, Bhuvan Pahar is also a panacea for trekking enthusiasts, many earmark Bhuvan Pahar trekking in their calendar. On the two days of Shivratri, people from all across setup stalls to help the pilgrims with water, food and tea. Few charge for the services, while few do it for free…

The mountain in the border of Assam, Manipur and Mizoram is now a place of both religious and historical importance, but it’s not possible for all to go for the tedious trek and they resort to other local options. Siddheshwar Shiv Bari is one of them, located on the bank of Barak River, the temple witnesses a huge gathering on Shivratri. The temple established in Badarpur is now a visual delight too, newly painted walls have glorified the religious monument. On the other side of the town, we have Borom Baba’s temple in Silcoorie area where many devotees perform their rituals.  

Overall, Shivratri despite being on a working day is celebrated by people of all age with great enthusiasm, and this time too, Barak Valley is celebrating it in a joyous mood.