Chhappan Bhog For 56 Medals At 2020 Olympics

Mathura: A unique community offering called 'Chhappan Bhog' will be organised on September 14 at Goverdhan Dham in Mathura to pray to Lord Krishna to bless India with 56 medals at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Murari Agrawal, founder-president of over three-decade-old Giriraj Seva Samiti, which is organising the event, said the Chhappan Bhog would be dedicated to the Lord with a prayer to "bestow 56 medals on India during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics".

The Samiti, which is a group of over 100 people, organises the Chappan Bhog ceremony every year. Often they dedicate their prayer to some special causes - this year it's for country's success in the next Olympics.

Chappan Bhog - 'prasad' (offering) made with 56 different items - is community offering organised to please the deity for the welfare of the society but the prayer this time is for a national cause, he said.

According to Mahamandaleshwar Sanvaria Baba, such Bhog was organised to please lord Krishna during the Dwapar period. The preparation for the ceremony is in full swing.

"While Annapurna Rath (a chariot full of ingredients for the Chhappan Bhog) has begun its journey today, artisans from Kolkata are busy in preparation of massive 110-ft high structure for it," he stated.

He said the deity would be adorned in such a way that in case of brief power failure, devotees would have view of the lord.

"The preparation of items for making 21,000 kg Chhappan Bhog begins tomorrow with the 'Poojan' (paying obeisance to fire God) of the improvised stove known as 'Bhatti'," he said.

He said they would use rare flowers from different parts of the country and abroad at the occasion.

A massive 23-km parikrama by thousands of people would be undertaken on September 12.

"Thousands of pilgrims are expected to join the Parikrama organised by Giriraj Seva Samiti on September 12," the Baba said.

He said such offerings would be organised by different community in Goverdhan, every month till the rainy season begins.