Grandeur of Navratri: Bala Sundari Temple Ready for Grand Celebrations

The revered Mahamaya Shri Bala Sundari Temple at Trilokpur in Sirmaur district—one of North India’s most prominent pilgrimage sites—is fully prepared to host the grand Ashwin Navratri fair from September 22 to October 7. Thousands of devotees are expected to visit the temple during the festival.

Rajeev Sankhyan, SDM Nahan and Joint Commissioner of the Temple Trust, said elaborate arrangements have been made to ensure the event runs smoothly and safely. To maintain law and order, barricades have been installed in the temple premises, with a total deployment of 400 personnel including 150 police officers, 100 home guards, and 150 private security guards.

The temple will remain open daily from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m., with hours extended if necessary to accommodate crowds. For the first time, devotees will be able to witness live darshan of the sanctum sanctorum through the temple’s official website. The portal will also provide facilities for online booking and donations via QR codes.

To serve devotees, five community kitchens in the Bhandara block near the Magistrate Duty Room will provide food round the clock. The Health Department has stationed medical teams at Panipat Dharamshala near the Shiva temple and at the Duty Magistrate’s office, both offering 24-hour services. Ten additional water tankers have been deployed to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply, while 80 sanitation workers have been assigned to maintain cleanliness throughout the fair.

This year, new features such as a Paad Prakshalan Kund at the main entrance and a selfie point inside the temple complex are expected to draw special attention. Floral decorations inside the temple have also been completed to welcome devotees.

Parking arrangements have been made at multiple sites—HIMUDA parking for cars, the bypass road for heavy vehicles, and the bus stand for two-wheelers. For elderly and differently-abled devotees, the temple trust has arranged two small vehicles to shuttle them from the parking areas to the temple premises.