For many, the darshan is as much a test of endurance as it is an expression of faith as they inch forward in sweltering heat, leaning against barricades for support or resting on pavements with blankets and bags
At times, the scenes at Lalbaugcha Raja turn chaotic, with massive crowds surging and pushing against one another, making it difficult to manage the flow of devotees
With the crowd swelling into lakhs, devotees often camp on the footpaths overnight, waiting patiently under makeshift sheds
The mandal provides basic facilities such as lights, fans and shade near the pandal, but the long journey to darshan is still marked by exhaustion
Police officials acknowledge that the charan sparsh line often extends up to 2 km, while the mukhdarshan queue moves faster
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