Mohammad Aman Ullah:
Shiv Darshan and traditional Adinath Mela begin at the historic Adinath Temple in Maheshkhali, Cox’s Bazar, on the occasion of Shiv Chaturdashi Puja. Every year, on the Chaturdashi Tithi of the Krishna Paksha of the month of Falgun, Hindus, Buddhists and followers of traditional religions visit Shiva in the hope of receiving the blessings of the deity Shiva. According to the information given by the head priest of Adinath Temple, Rahul Chakraborty, this year the main darshan of Shiv Chaturdashi Puja has been fixed (February 26). Shiv Chaturdashi Puja will begin at 10:11 am on Wednesday and will end at 8:59 am on Thursday. However, the 3-day long Puja and Darshan festival will continue even after the main festival. Since last Tuesday, worshippers from different parts of the country have started coming to the foot of Mainak Mountain where Adinath Temple is located.
Shiv Chaturdashi Puja and Adinath Mela will be held from February 26 to March 4, 2025. This fair has been known as Adinath Mela for more than two hundred years. Every year, thousands of worshippers and devotees from remote areas of Bangladesh as well as neighboring countries like India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Malaysia come to this temple on the occasion of Shiv Chaturdashi Puja and fair. Tourists from different parts of the country also gather on the occasion of this fair, which carries the traditional traditions of Bengali folk culture. Maheshkhali Upazila Executive Officer and President of the Adinath Mela Management Committee Md. Hedayet Ullah said that all kinds of preparations and security measures have already been taken administratively to ensure that Shiv Chaturdashi Puja and Adinath Mela are conducted smoothly, beautifully and safely. A preparatory meeting was held on February 10 in the presence of all members of the Adinath Temple Committee organized by the Upazila Administration. As per the decision of the meeting, a 184-member committee has been formed to ensure the smooth conduct of Shiv Chaturdashi Puja and Adinath Mela. In addition, various sub-committees have been unanimously formed to monitor all the income and expenditure accounts of this Puja and Mela and to complete various tasks smoothly. In this, a full-fledged committee of 184 members has been formed with Parimal Kanti Shil, trustee of Hindu Religious Welfare Trust, as the chief advisor, Maheshkhali Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Hedayet Ullah as the president, Maheshkhali Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Kaisar Hamid as the Mela Super, Master Pathik Chandra De as the general secretary, former UP member Palash Kanti De as the volunteer chief, Adinath Temple Accounts Officer Laxmi Charan De as the finance secretary, businessman Ratan Kanti De as the organizing secretary, and businessman Surya De Shuvo as the publicity secretary.
In addition, the following sub-committees have been formed: Law and Order Sub-Committee, Fair Shop Management and Toll Collection Sub-Committee, Expenditure and Purchase of Various Items Sub-Committee, Donation Box Supervision Sub-Committee, Finance Sub-Committee, Audit/Inspection Sub-Committee, Arghya/Table Collection Sub-Committee, Naivedya Supervision Sub-Committee, Catering and Food Management Sub-Committee, Auction Sub-Committee, Festival Celebration Sub-Committee, Decoration-Water Supply-Sewage Management Sub-Committee, Traffic and Supervision Sub-Committee, and Health Services Sub-Committee. Maheshkhali Police Station OC and Fair Superintendent Kaiser Hamid said that a team of police will be deployed round the clock for the security of the Shiv Chaturdashi Puja and Fair.
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