From the archive record
Priest performs various rituals on the occasion of Vaikunth chaturdashi at Kamleshwar Mahadev temple of Srinagar Garhwal. Aarti of Lord Shiva being performed during Khad deeva at Kamleshwar temple. Thousands of couples participate in this ritual hoping to have a child. Fasting for the entire day and night, couples aspiring for children stand in the temple for the entire night holding a lighted earthen lamp in their hands. In case a woman is unable to perform this difficult ritual, it can also be carried off by her mother-in-law or husband. It is a popular belief that during the early hours of the dawn, the goddess herself conveys the message of the successful completion of the ritual symbolically. Many couples have benefited from this ritual of Khad deeva till date, it is said. On the occa