Gujarat's Umiya Mata draws 8,00,000 devotees

Nearly eight lakh devotees turned up in Unjha on Saturday for the inauguration of the ‘Rajat Jayanti Mahotsav’ of Goddess Umiya Ma. The Mahotsav was being held after 25 years, though the goddess has been worshipped here since the 18th century. The celebrations were inaugurated by chief minister Narendra Modi.

In his speech on the occasion, the chief minister appealed to the people to use drip irrigation in Gujarat as it saved water. Responding to his appeal, the mammoth crowd took an oath to use drip irrigation and prevent wastage of water.

Modi also used the occasion to draw people’s attention to the skewed sex ratio of Unjha. He said he was grateful to the people of Unjha and to Umiya Ma because it was because of them that he could stay safely in Unjha during the Emergency.

He said that it was unfortunate that the place where Umiya Ma was worshipped so devoutly had the worst sex ratio in the state. “This is a matter of deep concern,” he said, adding that people must get rid of the evil of female foeticide.

The chief minister also felicitated five Patidar families who had made major contributions to the economic and social development of Gujarat. Those who were felicitated by the CM included Karniksinhji Darbar & Dilipsinhji Desai, Zabal Laskari, Mrugesh Jaikrishna Harivalabhdas, minister of state for finance and industry Saurabh Patel and Pradip Mafatlal.

The leading donors for the mega-event felicitated on the occasion included Nirma group’s managing director Hiren Patel, land developer AB Patel, US-based hotelier CK Patel, Sadbhav group chairman Vishnu Patel, Godrej group chairman Bharat Patel, Paras group chairman Girish Patel, Sintex Ltd’s proprietors Dinesh & Arun Patel and Gandevi Sugar Mill chairman Jyotibhai Patel.

State BJP party president Purshotam Rupala, revenue minister Anandiben Patel, civil supply minister Narotam Patel and urban development minister Nitin Patel were also present on the occasion. Unjha MLA and chairman of the festival committee of the Umiya Temple, Naranbhai Patel, introduced the speakers. Keshubhai Patel, chairman of the Umiya Temple Trust and other trustees also attended the event.

An ‘Umiya Nagar’ was set up over an area of 500 acres to accommodate the large number of devotees. Local sources said that, of the eight lakh devotees who had arrived for the occasion, around two lakh were Kadva Patels. More than 40 lakh people are expected to visit the festival over the next four days.  The sources said that approximately 7.5 lakh laddus were distributed as ‘prasad’. The Umiya Ma Temple Trust has already collected around Rs23 crore in donations and expects to collect another Rs50 crore in the remaining four days of the festival.

On Saturday, all roads led to the small town of Unjha which was flooded with heavy vehicular traffic as well as pedestrians. Around 8 lakh people from across the country visited Unjha to seek blessings of Umiya mata.  From Mehsana onwards towards Unjha, around 25 km of road was chock-a-block with vehicles running on two lanes and two lanes kept for the pedestrians.  Authorities say around seven lakh devotees thronged the temple on Day one. Of the around one lakh pedestrians who reached Unjha, around 40,000 were from Mehsana and Vishnagar alone. 

Rs1.25 cr highest donation
The Patel community, which is known for its generosity in donation for development of their community, got another example when Ahmedabad-based realtor, Amrut Patel, donated Rs1.25 crore on Sunday. The second highest donation of Rs65 lakh came from an NRI, CK Patel. 

Rs100 cr donation expected
Members of Kadva Patidar Samaj flooded the donation box with donating around Rs50 crore, officials of Umiyamata Sansthan said. In the coming days of the festival they expect to receive another Rs50 crore fund. "The Sansthan will use this money in providing interest free loan to needy students, widows and other activity of social activity," said Sitarambhai Patel, chairman of the Sansthan. 

1,567 units of blood donated
Apart from the piety, lakhs of people who thronged Umiya Nagar also gave rich examples of their social commitment by donating around 1,567 bottles of blood on the first day of the event.  The Sansthan has put up a tent where visitors can donate blood for four days of event. 

Exhibition a big hit
To give variety of information the Sansthan had put up huge exhibition - on agriculture, education etc to guide visitors, mainly farmers. Sitaram Patel, chairman of Sansthan said, the domes in exhibition are developed keeping needs of everyone in mind. We have also organized seminars for students, Patel said. Pranlal Patel's exhibition of pictures on rural setting was a big crowd puller too. 

Rs6.25 L for flower shower
Like always, the Umiyamata Sansthan has auctioned to choose the people who will drop flowers on Umiyamata temple from helicopter on the first day of the festival. The hararaji made by a Patel stopped at Rs6.25  lakh to drop flowers on Umiyamata temple and Umiyanagar - where the programmes are being organised. The second day’s opportunity to drop flowers from helicopter was given at Rs2.5 lakh.

11 trains to stop at Unjha
Looking at the flow of passengers to Unjha and also taking into consideration their convenience, the western railways has started stoppages of 11 special trains at Unjha on the occasion of Umiya Mata Rajat Jayanti festival which began on Saturday and will last till Wednesday. The Bandra-Jodhpur-Bandra (9065/9066), Porbandar-Delhi-Porbandar (9263/92640), Bareli-Bhuj -Bareli (4311/4312), Porbandar-Motihari - Porbandar   (9269/9270), Trivendam — Bikaner- Trivendam (6311/6312), Ahmedabad - Muzzafurpur — Ahmedabad (5369/5270), Bangalore- Jodhpur-Bangalore (6507/6508), Yaswantpur — Ajmer — Yaswantpur (6531/6532), Mysore — Ajmer - Mysore (6209/6210), Yaswantpur - Jodhpur — Yaswantpur (6533/6534) and Pune- Jodhpur-Pune (1089/1090) will have stoppages at Unjha.