Students flood temple with pleas for better results

Bhopal: As the MP Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE) stands on the brink of announcing results for over 1.5 million Class 10 and 12 students, anxious kids are flooding the Shani temple in New Market here, beseeching the deity with fervent vows for academic victory.The temple has transformed into a hive of youthful desperation since dawn, with hundreds of students and their families thronging the shrine. Dressed in everyday attire, many carry puja items—incense, coconuts, and coins—while murmuring prayers amid the clang of bells and chants."God, help me pass with good marks, and I will offer 151 laddoos as a sacred offering," said Pooja Patel, a class 12 students."Ensure I pass, and I will perform 100 circumambulations of the temple," vowed Mukul Sharma, a Class 10 student from Arera Colony, his voice trembling with emotion. Echoing his plea, Manav Patel, a Class 10 aspirant, promised, "If I score above 90%, I'll donate my first salary to the temple's renovation fund whenever I get the job." Families amplify the frenzy. Mothers light diyas, fathers coordinate group prayers, and siblings join in, turning the premises into a makeshift ritual hub. Temple priest Arun Maharaj noted a surge in visitors: "We've seen over 500 devotees today alone—far more than usual. Shani Dev's blessings are sought for removing obstacles, especially in exams." Last year, pass percentages hovered around 68% for Class 12 and 75% for Class 10, intensifying the pressure on this yera's batch amid competitive college admissions and shrinking job markets.