Varanasi, Aug 17 (IANS) On the third Monday of Sawan, which also coincides with Nag Panchami, lakhs of devotees gathered at major Shiva temples across the country. In Varanasi, a massive crowd of devotees and Kanwariyas thronged Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham despite rain.
Devotees waited in long queues for darshan and offered water to Baba Vishwanath.
Extensive security arrangements, including police deployment and drone surveillance, were put in place to manage the crowds.
At Kashi Vishwanath Dham, devotees and Kanwariyas were warmly welcomed with a grand shower of flowers. The temple was beautifully decorated for the occasion, while devotees attended the Mangala Aarti and raised chants of “Har Har Mahadev”, creating an atmosphere of faith and devotion.
ACP Dashashwamedh Atul Anjaan said lakhs of devotees had been arriving since morning. He also said that boat operations had been suspended because the water level was high and rising.
“Today is the third Monday of Sawan, and it is also the festival of Nag Panchami. Lakhs of devotees have been arriving since morning. As the water level is quite high and continues to rise, the operation of boats has been suspended,” Atul Anjaan said.
DIG Shivhari Meena said officers had been deployed since midnight and were managing the queues in an orderly manner.
“Today is the third Monday of Sawan. As you can see, all the officers have been on duty since midnight. Everyone is out in the field, and the queues are being managed in an orderly manner,” he told IANS.
In Ayodhya, lakhs of devotees gathered at Siddh Peeth Nageshwar Nath to offer water to Lord Shiva. The city echoed with chants of “Bam Bam Bhole”, while extensive security arrangements and CCTV surveillance were in place.
Meanwhile, in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, thousands of devotees gathered at Mahakaleshwar Temple. The temple opened at 2:30 a.m., followed by the special Bhasma Aarti at 3 a.m. Baba Mahakal was adorned after a grand Panchamrit Abhishek.
In Vasai, Maharashtra, a large number of devotees gathered at the hilltop Tungareswar Mahadev Temple. Long queues had formed since the night as devotees waited for darshan amid chants of “Har Har Mahadev” and “Bol Bam”.
In Banka, Bihar, devotees began arriving at temples from around 2 a.m. Kanwariyas carrying Ganga water from Sultanganj reached Banka after travelling nearly 50 km on foot and by vehicles.
–IANS
rs/