With Navratra celebrations on, worshippers thronging Kali Devi temple, which was founded by Maharaja Bhupinder Singh after the jyot was brought from Calcutta, have been offering chickens this year, which is a departure from the tradition of offering small goats besides liquor to the goddess, who has mainly rural worshippers.
Discouragement from the Kali Devi temple authorities as well as a steep rise in the rate of goats has resulted in the practice of bringing chicken as an offering to the goddess.
Angrez Singh of Sanaur, who had been in the queue for a darshan of the goddess for more than five hours today, said it was all a matter of shraddha (devotion).
Those bringing goats with them said they were doing so because they had pledged to do so if their particular wish was fulfilled.
However some of the devotees have clearly started feeling that goats are a costly proposition. With a chicken available for around Rs 40, it is easier to offer it to the goddess, said some of the devotees.
Devotees had started queuing up in front of the temple on Mall Road here since 3 am today. Some devotees had to wait between four and five hours for a darshan.
Many of them also offered liquor, which was invariably of the country made variety, to the goddess.
Temple authorities said they were storing all offerings, including coconuts, dupattas, liquor and goats, in separate stores.
According to past custom, while the temple authorities sell coconuts and goats, liquor is offered as parsad to the volunteers of different organisations doing duty in the temple.
However, like other years, the temple authorities failed to ensure a check on money collection by private organisations. Various private organisations had put up stalls in the temple complex seeking donations for various causes.
Meanwhile some devotees today expressed their annoyance at the inability of the temple authorities to maintain the sarovar, which was constructed during the Akali-BJP rule.
They said the sarovar was often used as a swimming pool by youngsters during the day. They said the water in the sarovar had also become dirty and should be changed at fixed intervals.