ITANAGAR, Jan 16 ? Approximately 30,000 (thirty thousand) of pilgrims braving the chilly cold took a holy dip at the famous Parashuram Kund in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh on the eve of ??Paush Makar Sankranti.?? Official sources from Tezu, the district headquarter of Lohit told The Assam Tribune over phone Tuesday that thousands of pilgrims, sadhus, old men-women and children from different parts of the country including pilgrims from neighbouring Nepal and Bhutan queued up in the early morning to take holy dip with a belief that a dip in the kund is enough to exonerated oneself from the sins. Taking a holy dip in the major rivers India is an age-old custom prevalent among the Hindus.
The bathing began at 1.20 am which was considered an auspicious hour, official sources said, adding, ??this year the numbers of pilgrims were less due to on going Maha Kumbh Mela, which takes place once in every 12 years at Allahabad. The local Digaru-Mishmi, too are taking active part as a guide to help the countless devotees who come from different parts of the world, official sources said, adding, ??they also carried out Kuthas?? in their hands claiming themselves as the descendents of Lord Parashuram. The Parashuram Kund situated in the lower reaches of the bank of the river Lohit, about 25 km north of Tezu, is an ancient place of pilgrims in the Northeast. Mention of the origin and location of the Kund and the mighty Brahmaputra, which lord Parashuram visited, is found in the Puranas.
According to historians, there is mention of this Kund in the Kalika Puranas. Lord parashuram the sixth incarnation of Vishnu, as the legend goes, became free from sin of matricides after having a dip in this famous Kund. It is after his name that the Kund is known as Parashuram Kund, a place where the river Brahmaputra known as Lohit in Arunachal Pradesh enters the plains of Northeast. According to Kalika Purana, Jamadagni who was furious with his wife, Renuka, asked his fifth son, Parashuram to kill his mother, after the other sons refused. He vowed to carry out his father?s order and and beheaded his mother with an axe. Pleased at this, Parashuram?s father asked him to pray for a boon.
Parashuram who loved his mother, wanted to see her again. He therefore prayed for his mother?s life and then wanted to know how to get rid of the sin of matricide. Jamadagni then advised him to visit all holy places throughout the country. Parashuram did so and ultimately came to Brahamakund in Lohit district and made a passage for the Kund to come out by digging the bank of Brahmakund. While taking bath there the axe dropped from his hand. The spot where the axe dropped out of his hand came to known as the Parashuram Kunda.??
ASDC publicity secretary Dharamsing Teron, in a press release this evening, said that armed MLP personnel, claiming to be a Special Operation Team (SOT), had entered Karbi, Anglong through Umjakiri, under Baithalangso police station, by jeep and raided the Ummat weekly market and arrested local Karbi leader Longsing Bey.
Teron said that the MLP subsequently used Bey as a guide and raided Umpanai and its neighbouring villages assaulting and threatening villagers on the pretext of searching for UPDS militants. No militant was found, he said, questioning under what authority the MLP could threaten the life and property of the people of Karbi Anglong. He also wondered as to how the Assam police could not get wind of the MLP?s intrusion.
Teron also questioned the intentions of the Meghalaya Government accusing it of trying to sabotage the peace process in Assam since the UPDS is on a ceasefire with the Government and negotiating a peaceful solution. The area raided by the MLP falls within Meghalaya?s demanded area of Block I and Block II, Teron said, adding that by deliberately undermining the ceasefire agreement, Meghalaya Chief Minister, Dr J F Khonglam is trying to pull off an election stunt.