Devotees thronged temples dedicated to Lord Shiva across India to commemorate the second Monday of the holy month of 'Sawan' (Shravan) to offer their prayers.
At the Mahadev Jharkhandi Temple in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh witnessed a huge number of devotees.
Suresh Rai, a devotee said: "I have been coming here for the past 20 years now. People from across several districts visit this temple every year to offer their prayers to Lord Siva and perform special Puja and Jal Abhishek during the month of Sawan. It is believed that this is one of the oldest temples here and devotees have a strong faith that their wishes will be fulfilled if they offer prayers here."
"I am visiting this temple for the first time on the second Monday of Sawan. As per religious belief, one's wishes get fulfilled by offering prayers in this temple, that's why I have come here today to offer prayers to Lord Shiva. I believe my wish will also come true." Neelam, another devotee said.
Pilgrims were seen offering milk, Bilva leaves, water and ghee to Lord Shiva at the Mahadev Jharkhandi Temple today.
Devotees also offered special puja, Jal Abhishek on the auspicious occasion of second Monday of Sawan.
Myriads of devotees thronged temples of Lord Shiva across India with full fervour and gusto to commemorate second Monday of Sawan.
A large number of pilgrims including Kanwariyas were seen queuing up outside the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh chanting religious mantras and eagerly waiting to offer prayers at the holy shrine.
"I have directly come from Amarnath to offer prayers to Lord Shiva at Kashi Vishwanath Temple today. Today is a really special day as it is 'Sawan Pradosh', which makes the second Monday of Sawan more significant for the devotees. We are waiting in the queue since 3 am to offer prayers at the temple." a Kanwariya said.
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"I have come all the way from Allahabad to offer prayers at this temple today. A large number of devotees from across the globe come here during the month of Sawan." l, a devotee said.
Meanwhile, thousands of devotees offered their prayers at Baba Baidyanath Temple in Deoghar, Jharkhand earlier this morning.
Jai Dev Maharaj, a priest said: "The Sawan Pradosh has occurred after 20 years on the second Monday of Shravan this year. So, this day holds a special significance for all the devotees here."
"We are taking care of devotees' security. We have also set up a 24/7 control room here. All the security personnel are taking care of the crowd of devotees and their safety," security personnel told .
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The doors of Baba Baidyanath Temple were opened for the devotees at 3:45 am today. All the pilgrims were seen queuing up at the temple, the situation was such that the queue of devotees stretched up to 16 km on this special occasion.
According to an estimation, around 2.5 lakh Kanwariyas will offer water to Lord Shiva at Baba Baidyanath Temple today. The security personnel have taken care of all security arrangements.
Shravan, the fifth month in the Hindu calendar, is considered to be the most auspicious month of the year. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva who, according to Hindu religious beliefs, is the creator, preserver, and destroyer of this universe.
While Lord Shiva is worshipped on Mondays throughout the year, Mondays during this particular month are considered highly significant and auspicious. The festival is predominantly celebrated in North Indian states.
Four Mondays fall in the month of Sawan this year- 22 July, 29 July, 5 August and 12 August. On these holy days, devotees worship Lord Shiva and seek his divine guidance.
It is believed that on these 'sawan ke somwar' (Mondays falling in the month of Shravan), devotees observe a special fast and visit Shiva temples.
( With inputs from ANI )