In a move to pray for the souls of lives lost to accidents and to propitiate the Gods to keep the stretch safe, more than 360 residents living around the accident-prone “Tiffin Dara” stretch between Damthang and Namchi, organised a two-day Shanti Puja there on 14 and 15 May.
The prayer service was mooted by Lali-Guras Club, a Ghurpisey-based NGO, and supported, as mentioned, by residents of the area. The prayers started on 14 May and concluded the next evening. Eight Buddhist monks from Aley Gumpa conducted prayers and erected ‘dhajas’, prayer flags and lit ‘chimis’, butter lamps, while Hindu pundits performed a ‘hawan’ and led Bhagwad Gita recitals.
Five people have died in accidents near Tiffin Dara in the past one month alone. Fatalities to accidents here in the past year stand at 15.
