Devotees without face mask offer liquor at shrine in Amritsar

Notwithstanding the surge in Covid-19 cases, several devotees without face masks and not adhering to social distancing norms converged to pay obeisance to Baba Rode Shah shrine in Punjab's Amritsar district and offered liquor bottles to seek his blessings.

The unusual fair, being held for the last 90 years, ended on Wednesday in Bhoma village, situated on the Amritsar-Fatehgarh Churian Road.

Though liquor is offered at the shrine throughout the year, the offering increases during the fair.

"It is a gathering of animated devotees who thronged the samadhi of Baba Rode Shah, clutching bottles of liquor as offerings for grant of a boon," said Gursewak Singh of same village.

Earlier, the first day of the fair was reserved for male devotees while the second day was for women, but with the passing of time, both men and women offer liquor to the 'samadhi' at the same time.

During the course of the fair, it is quite common to see devotees making their way to the 'samadhi' with the bottles and other containers full of liquor which is offered at the shrine. It is then distributed among the devotees, male and female, who drink the liquor as 'prasad'.

The uniqueness of this shrine is that only liquor is accepted as offerings from the devotees. The devotees scramble to reach the shrine where liquor is distributed in glasses.