Devotees at this temple have slots booked till 2060 to crown Durga

CHATRA: A Durga temple in Mayurhund block of Jharkhand’s Chatra district has a unique ritual which sees devotees booking slots to crown the goddess, reports Vishvendu Jaipuriar.

Every year, during Durga Puja, one devotee gets a chance to crown the deity and it is believed that the goddess fulfils all his/her wishes. The rush is so high that all slots to crown the goddess are booked till 2060. In case someone dies before his/her turn arrives, their family members crown the goddess on behalf of the deceased.

Last year, Bhuvneshwar Prajapati was lucky to get this chance while this year, Chatra-based businessman Anant Kumar Sinha fulfilled his father Baldev Prasad Sinha’s wish to crown the deity.


“My father had booked a slot in 1996, but died soon after. Our turn has finally come this year,” Sinha said. President of the puja committee Ashwini Singh said, “The custom started 70 years ago and since then, a rush among devotees to get a chance began. The committee then started taking bookings.”

The cost of the crown is borne by devotees, said Ashwini. “Crown-makers come from West Bengal and each crown costs around Rs 20,000,” he said.