The Hanuman temple in Harni, which has come up with a new take on the sankat-mochan concept! Shri Bhidbhanjan Maruti Mandir’s temple management has devised a robotic system to safely offer oil to Lord Hanuman as part of the religious service. The majority of devotees prefer to offer oil to the idol as part of their religious tradition.
Priest Mahant Harshad Giri Goswami, on the other hand, said that gathering devotees inside the temples’ sanctum for this service was futile and in violation of safety guidelines. It was also impossible to prevent Hanuman idol devotees who wanted to offer oil from entering. As a result, we considered creating a system in which people could perform the ceremony while adhering to Covid’s guidelines.
The temple was recently fitted with an automated machine that was powered by electricity, according to Goswami.
When the switch is pressed, oil is offered on the Bajrang Balis idol, and a mantra is chanted in the sanctum. People can sell oil for as little as Rs 5, Rs 10, Rs 20, and even Rs 50. This method keeps devotees separate from the priest and from one another. They are also content to offer their own oil, according to Goswami.
“The ancient art of tantra, mantra, and yantra guides our temple. The devotees are pleased with the current arrangement,” the chief says. Before Covid, around 2,000 devotees walked into the temple on Saturdays, but that figure has dropped to nearly 500 in the last two years, “He added.
“Though it is mechanical, I am rewarded by offering oil to the Lord while adhering to Covid safety rules,” says Mitesh Shah, a devotee who visits the temple every Saturday.