Ranchi: Over 80,000 people offered their obeisance to Pahari Baba at the temple perched 2,140ft above sea level atop Ranchi Hill on Shivratri on Wednesday.

Like every year, Pahari Ma-ndir Vikas Samiti had made ela-borate arrangements to ensure a peaceful and safe celebration.

As many as 21 CCTV cameras were installed on the temple premises to keep an eye on antisocial elements.

Around 100 volunteers of RSS and Pahari Mandir Vikas Samiti were deputed to assist around 100 policemen responsible for crowd control. Among the police personnel, there were Shakti Commandos, a force of women constables, were also on guard to prevent eve-teasing.

Barricades were used to ensure that the devotees reached the hilltop in a single file via an inclined path and stairs on the northern side of main entrance and came down via stairs on the southern side of this hills.

Under the arghya (offering) system, devotees were allowed to do jalabhishek (bathing the deity) from a distance without touching the shivling in the sanctum sanctorum with the help of a pipe-like brass structure.

 

Several kiosks were selling puja materials such as belpatra, dhatur, small pitchers of milk, vermilion and flowers.

Shivam Kumar Dubey, a final year student of chemistry honours at St Xavier's College, seemed satisfied with the arrangement. "Puja was hassle-free. Crowd management was good. It took me hardly one hour to reach the hill top and come down," Dubey said.

Dhirendra Singh, a resident of Kishoreganj and a government teacher, said the crowd was less compared to other years owing to a confusion over the festival date.

"There was confusion over whether Shivaratri falls on February 13 or 14. Some celebrated it on Tuesday while others offered prayers on Wednesday. Last year, over one lakh devotees had come to the hill," Singh said.

Sukhdeonagar OC Nawal Kishore Singh said two traditional Shiv Barats were organised around 3.30pm around Ra-nchi Hill. Around 10,000 devotees participated in the barats.