10 hrs ago
18 Lakh Devotees Visit Jaipur Temple For Sacred Henna
Many people visited a temple in Jaipur to receive special henna.
The henna was offered to Ganesh during a celebration called Mehndi Utsav.
People believe that unmarried women who use it may get married within a year.
Nearly 18 lakh devotees attended this year.
Some people waited for hours in very long lines.
The crowds also blocked nearby roads.
By evening, the temple had no henna left for many visitors.
Some people supported the tradition, while others criticized the huge crowds and social-media attention.
Almost 18 lakh devotees attended Mehndi Utsav at Jaipur’s Moti Dungri Ganesh Temple on 13 September.
About 3,500 kilograms of henna were brought from Sojat for the temple’s mehndi pujan of Ganesh.
According to tradition, unmarried women who apply the sacred henna are believed to marry within a year.
Long queues blocked parts of MD Road and GLN Road as devotees waited for hours, some arriving at 7 am.
The temple’s henna ran out by evening, while social-media users debated the crowds and the tradition.
- Who
- Almost 18 lakh devotees, including unmarried people and families from across India, attended the event.
- What
- Devotees gathered for sacred henna distributed after the temple’s mehndi pujan of Ganesh.
- Where
- Moti Dungri Ganesh Temple in Jaipur, with queues extending along MD Road and GLN Road.
- When
- 13 September, during the annual celebration before Ganesh Chaturthi.
- Why
- Devotees sought the henna because tradition holds that it can bring marriage within a year for unmarried women.
Supporters and Believers
Critics and Skeptics
Religious tradition
Supporters and Believers
Devotees followed a tradition that associates applying the sacred henna with marriage within a year for unmarried women.
Critics and Skeptics
Some social-media users questioned or criticized the practice and the sudden scale of participation.
Large crowds and publicity
Supporters and Believers
The large turnout reflected the event’s growing popularity and the faith of devotees who waited for hours.
Critics and Skeptics
Critics described the crowds as disturbing, while another user blamed Instagram attention for potentially increasing attendance next year.
Key facts
- Attendance
- Almost 18 lakh people attended in one day.
- Henna quantity
- Approximately 3,500 kilograms were brought from Sojat.
- Event
- Mehndi Utsav, held before Ganesh Chaturthi.
- Distribution
- Henna was offered to Ganesh and then distributed as prasad.
- Crowd impact
- Queues blocked much of MD Road and GLN Road.
- Supply issue
- The temple administration said the henna stock had run out by evening.
- Tradition
- The practice reportedly began about two centuries ago.
Quotes
An X user
A social media user commenting on the event’s unusually large crowds
“When there are so many unmarried people, one has to wonder who is increasing India’s population.”
theprint.in
“Thanks to the Instagram craze, expect double the number next year.”
theprint.in
Sources
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