Preparations begin for Annakoot fair at Kedarnath Dham: Temple committee

Kedarnath (Uttarakhand) [India], August 29 : The preparations for the Annakoot (Bhatuj) fair to be held at Kedarnath Dham at midnight, a day before Raksha Bandhan began on Tuesday, said the president of Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee.
While talking to ANI, Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee President Ajendra Ajay said that the preparations have begun for the Annakoot (Bhatuj) fair to be held at Kedarnath Dham.
The Annakoot fair will be held at midnight, a day before Raksha Bandhan. For this, the temple has been decorated with 15 quintal flowers by the Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee.
On this occasion, the Swayambhu Shivling sitting in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple will be decorated with ripe Navanna (new grains).
He said that the tradition of organizing the Annakoot fair has been going on for generations. This time this date is falling on August 29.
In this fair, first of all, after special worship, the chief priest of the Dham decorates the Swayambhu Shiva Linga sitting in the womb by applying the paste of cooked new grains, Jhangora rice etc. Then the process of darshan of this divine form of Baba begins.
This coating is removed from the Swayambhu Shivling at 4 in the morning and immersed in a clean place.