Pilgrims at Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar, Jharkhand, during Shravani Mela in the past. File picture

Beggars may not have the luxury to be choosers, but they can be master strategists while making the most of opportune moments.

With Shravani Mela set to begin at Deogarh in Jharkhand, beggars from Ara, Buxar and Dumraon have left the towns in droves for the neighbouring state to make the most of the festival attended by lakhs of pilgrims every year.

The beggars aim to get money and alms from devotees after they offer prayers during the month of Shravan, which would support them for quite a long period.

A vagrant, who identified herself as Sabita, said several beggars from Ara are engaged in begging at Buxar, Dumraon and Dildarnagar (Uttar Pradesh). “We prefer to operate along the train route because it is easier to come back to places where we stay everyday. But these days we are not operating on trains. We have decided to leave for Deoghar because Shravani Mela is a better opportunity to make more money. The pilgrims, while returning after offering puja, give us money in huge amount that can even support us for a year,” she added.

Ghanshyam, another beggar from the same town, said: “For the next one month, my address will be Deoghar. Devotees from various parts of the country visit the town to offer prayers at Baidyanath Dham, do not think twice before giving us money and also food. It’s a wonderful time for us — we pray to Lord Shiva as the year begins and make a good amount of earning at the same time.”

A man, who refused to identify himself, said he has been visiting Deoghar for several years. “This is the best time of the year for people like us. We leave our towns and stay in Deoghar throughout the month of Shravan because the devotees visiting Baidyanath Dham shower us with money and alms in other forms. We approach them while they come out of the shrine after offering prayers and they do not disappoint us. The money we earn during this period helps us to survive for quite a few months. We keep waiting throughout the year for the trip to Deogarh.”

The residents of the three Bihar towns, on their part, do not complain to see the beggars migrating in such huge numbers. Rather, the residents say they are relieved not to find beggars on the roads during the festival.

Aarti Keshri, a government teacher who travels to Dumraon everyday by train from the state capital, said the beggars do not bother train passengers these days. “It’s a major relief for hundreds of commuters like us. We do not have to face the menace as long as Shravani Mela continues. It’s a relief that they have shifted to Baidyanath Dham for the time being.”

Shashi Bhushan Srivastava, who also travels by train every day, said the beggars have vanished and could not be found on the trains. A retired railway officer from Danapur, he added that the beggars often created a lot of problems for the commuters. Abhay Pratap Singh, who runs an electronics outlet in Ara, said: “The beggars are not coming to my shop for the last few days. It seems that they have left for Deoghar for the Shravani Mela.”

Around 50 lakh pilgrims from across the country descend on Deoghar during Shravani Mela to offer water of the Ganges to Lord Baidyanath. Among them, the dak kanwariyas collect the water from Sultanganj in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district and then cover the 100km to Deoghar on foot.

The Bhagalpur district administration is also busy with the last leg of preparations for Shravani Mela, the month-long festival beginning Tuesday.

Saffron-clad kanwariyas collect water from the Ganga at Sultanganj, around 28km west of Bhagalpur, and proceed for Lord Baidyanath Temple in Deoghar.

The Bhagalpur district administration has also stepped up security measures for the month-long festival. Police have decided to deploy armed forces to ensure that the kanwariyas did not face any threat along the route that is a hotbed of Maoist activities. More than 50.3 lakh kanwariyas had visited the Baba Baidyanath Dham last year.