Nageshwar Baba at the Durga mandir. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, Sept. 28: Nageshwar Baba is in the spotlight once again this Navratra. During Durga Puja each year, the 55-year-old devotee places water-filled bronze pitchers on his chest to worship the Goddess.

Priests stress that starting Devi Puja during Navratra with kalash sthapana is an important ritual.

“Some devotees read the Ramcharitmanas, Durga Saptashati and Hanuman Chalisa and some throng temples during the nine-day-long festival,” said Ajit Kumar Jha, a priest at Navlakha Durga Mandir near Secretariat.

Vijay Kumar Yadav, an organiser at the decade-old temple, said: “This is a Durga temple and Navratra celebrations are very important here. Thousands of devotees come to the temple during the nine-day festival and we make special arrangements for the devotees. This year, we have also invited a bhajan kirtan mandali and artistes from across the states, like Sitamarhi and Darbhanga districts, would perform during the festival.”

He added: “The main attraction, however, would be Nageshwar Baba, who this year, has kept 13 water-filled bronze pitchers on his chest. He will be here till the Puja is over. Baba has been fasting with bronze pitchers on his chest for the past 17 years. He does not partake a single morsel of food during the nine days.”

Fifty-five-year-old Nageshwar Baba told The Telegraph: “Seventeen years ago, I visited the temple for the first time. That same night I had a dream where Maa Durga asked me to keep water-filled bronze pitchers on my chest during Navratra. From then, I was determined to continue this for the rest of my life.” Each water-filled pitcher placed on the Baba’s chest weighs around 15kg.

Malati Devi, a devotee at the temple today, said: “Baba is a great devotee of Maa Durga. It is a rare feat to fast during Navratra and place water-filled pitchers on one’s chest. Normal men can’t do this. My family members and I have made it a point to visit the temple during this festival as we believe Baba influences spirituality in us.”

Baba said: “The first time I ached all over my body but today, the pain hardly matters to me. I enjoy doing this. These days, I choose to sleep most of the time with the pitchers on my chest.”

Another crowd-puller in the city is the Akhand Vindhyavasini Mandir near Golghar.

Installed by late Vishnunath Brahmachari around 350 years ago, the temple has two lamps — one filled with ghee and another with mustard oil — that are illuminated for more than 100 years now.

At 5am today, devotees could be seen for 500m around the temple.

Main priest Pandit Amarnath Tiwari said: “We have organised special programmes on Ashtami and Navami. On Ashtami, there will be a Nishi Puja (midnight puja) and a havan and a bhandara will be organised on Navami. Around 10,000 people are expected to come to the temple for the bhandara. Kumari Pujan will also be held on Navami.