Jamshedpur: Shiv temples saw the throngs of devotees paying obeisance to Lord Shiva on the first Monday of Shravan today.
�Shrawan Somvar� is considered one of the most holiest at all the Shiv temples and thousands of devotees were seen in long queues to offer �bel patri� and milk to the Lord.
Devotees in large numbers thronged various city temples on the first Monday of ‘shrawan’. The temples reverberated with the chants of ‘bam bam bhole’ and ‘har har mahadev’.
The devotees offered milk, honey, sandalwood paste and leaves of wood apple on ‘shivalingas’. A large number of ‘kanwariyas’ also gathered at shiva temples to offer holy water.
Noted astrologer Kalyan Mishra says, “it is said that lord Shiva showers blessings on all those who remember him with true heart. This is one of the reason that motivates lakhs of shiva devotees especially kanwariyas to travel hundreds of kilometres on bare foot and offer prayers at the shiva ‘jyotirlinga’.
Apart from imposing ban on the entry of heavy vehicles in city area the men in khaki strictly imposed the traffic diversions inside the city. Tight security arrangements were made near all the prominent temples.
Ravindranath Chaturvedi, a priest, said the month of monsoon is considered to be very sacred for Hindu devotees.
‘Kanwarias’ aged from eight to eighty years had lined up at the streets leading to the famed temple for the treasured ‘darshan’. Unprecedented security arrangements were made.
The district administration and voluntary organisation, as in the past, have made elaborate arrangements for fooding, lodging and medical care of the devotees.
Devotees of Lord Shiva are also geared up to leave for Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar to offer prayers during the holy month of shravan.
Several devotees usually known as ‘kaanwariyas’ have already left for Baidyanath Dham, one of the 12 Jyotirlingams in India during Shravan, the auspicious month that started from August 1. Adityapur Kaanwariya Sangh, one of the many groups of 60 people left for Baidyanath Dham today.
There are families, individuals are pilgrim groups who have already left from the city.
Lakhs of devotees visit the place from various parts of India to offer holy water of Ganges to the deity collected from Sultanganj, which is almost 117 km from Deoghar. The water is carried by the kaanwariyas who walk all the distance on bare foot.
