CURATED BY – BHAGWAN DAS BERAGI | CITYCHIEFNEWS

Shajapur, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh Shajapur organized a program on environmental protection on Wednesday at Lalghati Shajapur on the sacrifice day of mother Amrita Devi. The program was formally inaugurated by the guests by lighting the lamp. The guests were welcomed with a garland. Vishnu Verma of Rashtriya Rajya Karamchari Sangh was the chief guest of the program. Sanjeev Dhingra presided over the program. Rajendra Verma, Gaurav Soni, Naveen Verma, Ramesh Rathore, Jai Sharma, Gopal Gurjar, Mohan Kicholiya, Siyaram Patidar, Jojansingh Rajput were present as special guests. During the program, the guests planted saplings and tied Raksha Sutra to the plants after worshipping nature. On this occasion, Chief Guest Verma while talking about Maa Amrita Devi said that in 1730 AD, in Khejadi village located about 21 kms south east of Jodhpur city of Rajasthan province, when Raja Abhay Singh of Jodhpur got some time off from war, he decided to build a palace. Lime was required for masonry of stones in the palace. Raja Abhay Singh ordered his minister Girdhari Das Bhandari to arrange wood for making lime. On this, the minister's eyes fell on Khejadiya village about 25 kms away from the palace where there was a forest of Khejadi trees. On this, the minister and courtiers advised the king to get wood from there, then the king gave his approval. After getting the approval, the soldiers came to the village and started cutting the trees, just then 42 year old Amrita Devi of the village and her three daughters Ashu, Ratni and Bhagobai husband Ramu ji Khod requested the soldiers not to do so. Amrita Devi politely told the soldiers that these trees are sacred for us, we worship them, please do not cut them, but the soldiers did not listen to her and started cutting the trees. On this Amrita Devi along with her daughters hugged the tree and in a moment her neck was separated from the body. When this news spread in the village, 84 villagers gathered at the spot and they decided that everyone will hug the trees and sacrifice their lives. First of all, the old men sacrificed. After that such a wave arose that there was a competition among the old, young, children, women, men to sacrifice their lives, by the time this wave subsided, 71 women and 292 men sacrificed themselves. In this sacrifice, 36 couples were completely destroyed. Therefore, this day is celebrated as Amrita Devi's Balidan Diwas.