Members of the NGO on their way to Dalma hill on Saturday. Picture by Animesh Sengupta

Jamshedpur, July 19: A city-based NGO today took up the responsibility to light up the approach road to the Lord Shiva’s house atop Dalma hill.

With thousands of devotees visiting the famous Shiva temple on Mondays during the ongoing month of Shravan, Bagbera Mahanagar Vikas Samity is installing streetlights along the 300m dark stretch that the faithful follow to reach the hilltop, around 25km from the steel city.

A 15-member team, comprising 11 electricians armed with two ladders, 350m electric wires and 150 bulbs left for the hills from Bagbera locality this morning. The work will be completed by tomorrow evening.

“Most of devotees start climbing the hill on Sunday night and reach the temple in the small hours of Monday. Many of them have complained about lack of lights on the road. Also, the temple is situated in a cave,” said samity president Subodh Jha.

Jha added they wanted to install the lights ahead of the first Monday (July 14) of the holy month but the plan got delayed for a number of factors.

“We will keep the lights there till the last Monday of the month,” he said.

Dalma forest ranger Mangal Kashyap admitted that devotees were facing problems due to pitch darkness on the approach route.

“Though electric poles are there, we cannot install lights as it may have an adverse effect on the animal habitat. However, when the NGO sought permission to install bulbs on the approach stretch for the convenience of devotees for the month, we agreed,” he said.

Every Monday, over 5,000 devotees visit the Shiva temple on the Dalma hill.

Around 30,000 devotees paid obeisance at the temple during the holy month of Shravan last year.