Jawad (Madhya Pradesh): The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department's slogan, "MP ajab hai, sab se gajab hai" has received a lot of attention, but it is completely accurate in the context of the famous Billam Bavji temple in Jawad village, Neemuch district.
Located about 15 kilometres from the Neemuch headquarters in the old Dhan Mandi of Jawad, close to the Shri Riddhi Siddhi Ganesh Temple, the temple remains open for nine days a year, from Rangpanchami to Rangteras. It assures worried parents that their wards' marriages will be completed soon.
Many devotees refer to Billam Bavji as the deity of bachelors because they believe that if an unmarried person visits the temple and seeks the god's blessings, he or she will find a suitable match or overcome obstacles in a marriage.
According to devotees, every year on Rangpanchami, the deity Billam Bavji is enthroned with full rituals, and after a tour of the village on Rangteras, the idol is enshrined in the Ganesh temple until the next Rangpanchami.
They also stated that, unlike other deities, this Billam Bavji idol is a moving idol that was not consecrated.
Unmarried boys and girls worship and wish for marriage during these nine days, as they strongly believe their wishes are said to be granted by worshipping him from Rangpanchami to Rangteras, and within a year, they will be married.
Even a large number of parents and relatives of unmarried boys and girls come here to pay their respects, bringing offerings such as shriphal (coconut), incense sticks with a betel leaf, and flowers.
After receiving darshan here, devotees (boys/girls seeking marriage) are required to consume paan (betel nut) as the temple's prasad.
The traders of old Dhan Mandi have been following the tradition of installing the idol of Billam Bavji here for the last 40 years.
Since marriages began with Billam Bavji's blessings, hundreds of people from other states, including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh, have come to visit during these nine days. They even took notes on their address, income, expenses, and family information.
Last year, over 800 unmarried people sought Billam Bavji's blessing, and those who marry also come here with their life partners.
