Thousands of Hindu devotees from across the border swarm the Passa Tumdra Ami Ney in Chhukha around this time, every year. This time too, more than a hundred thousand devotees are seen spending nights in long queues to get to the sacred site to celebrate Maha Shivratri, one of the most auspicious Hindu festivals to worship and honour Lord Shiva.
People are lined up from the riverbank which is the base of the sacred site. Devotees have to walk through the riverbank, cross the river and climb up the cliff through a narrow path. The number of devotees is so huge that the line barely moves.
Gauri Roy Karjee is from Cooch Behar in India. After spending two days and a night in a queue, she has finally made it to the sacred ney.
Gauri Roy Karjee said, “I came here yesterday. We were in line and we did not sleep.”
Like Gauri, several devotees from India visit the site every year around this time to worship Lord Shiva and receive his blessings.
Chandrika Sharma, a devotee from Siliguri said, “I have been in queue since yesterday only to pray to god. It was quite challenging but I had that motivation to reach here and pray.”
“I came here two days ago and it has been more than 24 hours. I am still in a queue trying to get inside the main cliff,” said Santosh Barmam, a devotee from Cooch Behar.
“We reached here in the morning and we are still in the queue. We believe so much in god and therefore we don’t mind taking all these troubles,” said Debashis Biswas, a devotee from Cooch Behar.
The crowd visiting the site to celebrate Maha Shivratri has been increasing every year.
De-Suups have been helping in crowd management at the Ney since 2015. This year, there are 120 De-Suups deployed.
Similarly, a team from the Bhutan-India Friendship Association in Phuentshogling has also been helping manage the crowd at the site.
General Secretary of the Bhutan-India Friendship Association, Thinley Dorji said, “As thousands of people come here, we are here to assist them. The routes are small and steep. Before we came here in 2015, there were incidences of people falling from the cliff. Also, our President, His Majesty the King ordered us to help here.”
His Majesty’s Kidu Mobile Medical Team also provided free medical services at the base camp.
The Ney which falls under Darla Gewog is located near the Bhutan-India border.
Kinley Dem, Phuentshogling
Edited by Phub Gyem
