Omkareshwar pilgrims get VIP darshan for donating blood

Indore: One may call it blending social responsibility with devotion.Khandwa district administration's initiative of letting devotees coming to Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga temple have a VIP darshan if they donate blood is receiving an overwhelming response.The initiative, aimed at tackling blood shortage in the district while rewarding pilgrims with free VIP protocol darshan, has helped administration collect approximately 1,200 units of blood in the last two months."The scheme allows pilgrims to skip long queues, which can often take three to four hours, in exchange for a 20-minute blood donation process," said Collector Rishabh Gupta, who spearheaded the project. "Similar models are successfully operational at major pilgrimage sites like Kashi Vishwanath, Tirupati Balaji, and Shirdi. Donating blood is an act of merit (punya)," Gupta said.To make the process convenient, a dedicated five-bed blood collection centre has been set up near the temple. After donating blood, devotees are given juice, a certificate, and photo of Lord Omkareshwar along with prasad. This certificate then grants a donor and his/her family immediate VIP protocol entry for darshan.Khandwa district hospital blood bank in-charge Dr Atul Mane said that the demand for blood had surged to 1,100 to 1,200 units per month following the establishment of local medical college. "Previously, we could only meet 50% of the demand through NGOs and volunteers. Now, even in the peak of summer, we have a surplus blood," Dr Mane said. The blood collected supports critical patients and emergency cases referred from neighbouring districts like Burhanpur, Khargone, and Barwani."Besides, work has been initiated to establish a separate blood bank in the medical college to store the life-saving fluid" he said.The facility is available weekly for healthy persons aged between 18 and 60, weighing at least 45 kg. In a family-friendly move, the administration allows a single member to donate blood to secure VIP access for their elderly parents or family members with small children.The administration is now working on developing a digital reminder system to notify donors when they are eligible to donate again (after four months) and plans to set up a permanent Red Cross unit at the temple site to ensure a year-round supply of life-saving blood.The administration believes that connecting the act of worship with life-saving contributions creates a ‘meaningful pilgrimage.' With summer footfall increasing, the authorities expect the collection numbers to rise further, ensuring that the holy city contributes significantly to the regional blood bank reserves.