Temples dedicated to Lord Shiva across the country witnessed a surge of devotees on Monday as people observed the final Somwar of the holy month of Sawan with great devotion and fervour. From offering sacred water and milk to participating in special aartis, devotees marked the occasion with traditional rituals and spiritual enthusiasm.
At the renowned Baba Baidyanath Jyotirlinga Temple in Deoghar, Jharkhand, thousands gathered from the early hours to perform jalabhishek. A temple priest said, “This Monday marks the last Monday of Sawan. Devotees are arriving continuously in large numbers. The administration is actively involved in managing the arrangements and ensuring smooth conduct of the rituals.”
A devotee, after completing darshan at the Baidyanath Dham, shared, “Today is the last Monday of Sawan, which holds great significance for devotees of Lord Shiva. The Somwari Jalabhishek performed today is especially powerful. As it also coincides with Ekadashi, the spiritual significance of the day is even greater.”
In Uttar Pradesh, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi experienced heavy footfall. A grand Mangala Aarti, accompanied by floral decorations and a ceremonial shower of flowers on devotees, added to the spiritual atmosphere. DCP Gaurav Banswal said, “Every Monday sees a large crowd of devotees here, and since today is the last Monday of Sawan, the turnout is even bigger. To manage the situation, proper barricading has been arranged, and drone surveillance is also being carried out.”
A devotee praised the arrangements, saying, “Thanks to the administration for the commendable way they’ve managed the crowd. Despite the heavy rush, we had darshan within 2–3 hours. Everything is well organised.”
In Haridwar, large numbers of devotees offered holy Ganga water at the Daksheshwar Mahadev Temple in Kankhal, considered to be the in-laws’ home of Lord Shiva. At the Pashupatinath Temple, priest Kailash Bhatt remarked, “Today marks the fourth Monday of Sawan, and since early morning, large numbers of devotees have been arriving to offer water, milk, and belpatra to Lord Shiva.”
The Aundha Nagnath Temple also saw a steady flow of worshippers performing jalabhishek at the sacred Nageshwar Jyotirlinga. A regular pilgrim shared, “We’ve been coming here for the past five years, every Sawan Monday. Whatever we wish for gets fulfilled.”
In Ujjain, the Mahakaleshwar Temple hosted a special bhasma aarti, followed by rituals and offerings throughout the day. Similar scenes of devotion were witnessed at the Somnath Jyotirlinga in Gujarat’s Prabhas Patan and the Koteshwar Mahadev Temple in Uttarakhand.
-IANS
