- Kainchi Dham in Uttarakhand saw a large surge in devotees over the recent weekend
- The increase in visitors is linked to the film Hanuman Ansh's success in India
- Director Vishal Chaturvedi urged visitors to check crowd conditions before visiting
Kainchi Dham, a spiritual ashram and Hanuman temple in Uttarakhand, witnessed a huge surge in devotees over the weekend, according to claims made in viral social media videos. Associated with saint Neem Karoli Baba, Kainchi Dham has become a place of interest after the film Hanuman Ansh made “miraculous” business in India over the past one and a half months. Taking note of the situation, Hanuman Ansh director Dr Vishal Chaturvedi requested visitors to exercise discretion before heading to the site. He asked them to ensure the safety of women and children and, if necessary, visit other places associated with Neem Karoli Baba.
On Sunday evening, Dr Vishal Chaturvedi shared a video on Instagram to make an appeal to people. He said, “Kainchi Dham mein bahut bheed hui hai iss waqt aur bahut saare logon ka yeh kehna hai ki wahan Hanuman Ansh film dekhne ke baad log wahan pahunch gaye hain. Yadi aisa hai toh bhi aur yadi aisa nahi hai toh bhi humein sabhi ko wahan ki paristhiti pata karke hi wahan jaana chahiye (Kainchi Dham is overcrowded, and people have said that this is because of the influence of Hanuman Ansh. Whether that is the case or not, people should visit only after checking the current situation).”
He went on to add that devotees could consider other places of interest as well. Giving the examples of Neem Karoli village and Vrindavan, Vishal said these places were also important for those unable to visit Kainchi Dham. “Aap sabhi se anurodh hai ki aise samay mein yadi Kainchi Dham mein bahut bheed hai aur ghanton ki line lagi hai, toh aap in sthanon par bhi ja sakte hain... Mera aapse anurodh hai ki aisi sthiti na ho paaye ki aapke ghar mein bachche aur mahilayein wahan suffocate ho rahi hon, ya traffic jam mein phansi hui hon (It is my humble request that if there is overcrowding and a long queue at Kainchi Dham, you visit these other places as well. Please do not put yourself in a situation where the women and children in your family feel suffocated or get stuck in a traffic jam),” he added.
The rush began ahead of the long weekend, with a government holiday on October 2 followed by Saturday and Sunday, giving devotees three consecutive days off. Mussoorie witnessed a major influx of tourists on Friday, leading to long queues of vehicles along the Mussoorie-Dehradun Road.
Meanwhile, the stellar run of Hanuman Ansh continues in India. After 59 days, the film has minted ₹383.56 crore in gross collections and ₹324.73 crore in India net collections so far.