Baba Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar, Jharkhand, and Tarakeswar in West Bengal are witnessing an extraordinary surge of devotees during the ongoing Shravani Mela 2026, with over 2.8 lakh pilgrims using railway facilities on 9 August 2026 alone — the 11th day of the Mela. Eastern Railway (ER) officials confirmed the overall rush is significantly higher than last year, even as footfall patterns shifted across stations.

Station-wise Pilgrim Footfall

Sultanganj recorded the sharpest surge, logging 1,06,640 inward passengers on the day — a 39.43% jump from 76,481 in 2025. Deoghar saw an increase of 11.08%, receiving 21,582 passengers against 19,429 the previous year. Basukinath grew by 9.47%, serving 17,850 pilgrims compared to 16,306 in 2025.

By contrast, Jasidih station — historically the busiest entry point for Baidyanath Dham — saw a dip of 13.63%, handling 72,890 passengers versus 84,392 in 2025. Officials attributed the redistribution to enhanced connectivity at other stations this year.

Railway Arrangements and Special Trains

Eastern Railway has deployed an extensive fleet of special services to manage the surge. 32 special trains with 478 coaches have been run at Jasidih, 18 trains with 234 coaches at Deoghar, and 10 trains with 120 coaches at Basukinath. Six special trains are operational at Baidyanath Dham, and six pairs of special services have been run at Sultanganj. Regular trains on these routes have also been augmented with additional coaches.

Special holding areas have been created at key stations to prevent stampede-like situations. Additional surveillance equipment has been installed, and monitoring is being carried out round-the-clock, officials said.

Medical Aid and Passenger Assistance

Healthcare support has been extended to thousands of pilgrims across all major stations. According to ER, medical aid was provided to 632 pilgrims at Basukinath, 301 at Jasidih, 189 at Deoghar, 145 at Tarakeshwar, 90 at Baidyanath Dham, and 82 at Sultanganj.

Wheelchair assistance was made available for elderly and disabled devotees — eight wheelchairs at Tarakeshwar, seven at Jasidih, and one each at Deoghar, Basukinath, and Sultanganj. More automatic ticket vending machines with dedicated operators have also been deployed to reduce queuing.

What Officials Said

ER CPRO Shibram Majhi said dedicated staff and medical teams are working without break at all key stations to ensure every devotee receives prompt assistance and a hassle-free journey. Officials noted that this year's arrangements are more comprehensive than in previous editions of the Mela.

Baba Baidyanath Dham is one of the 12 Jyotirlinga shrines in India, drawing millions of Shiva devotees annually during the Shravan month. The Shravani Mela is among the largest annual religious gatherings in eastern India, and its scale places significant logistical demand on the regional railway network every year.

With the Mela still ongoing, authorities are expected to maintain heightened deployment through the remaining days of the festival.