New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS) Devotees across the country thronged prominent Shiva temples to mark the last Monday of the holy Sawan month, performing ‘jalabhishek’, participating in special ‘aartis’, and seeking the blessings of Lord Shiva.

At Baba Baidyanath Jyotirlinga Temple in Deoghar, Jharkhand, thousands of devotees gathered from early morning to offer sacred water and prayers. The temple witnessed a continuous stream of worshippers.

“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,” said a temple priest.

A devotee, after offering prayers at 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 Varanasi, the sacred Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Uttar Pradesh, saw massive footfall. A grand ‘Mangala Aarti’ and special floral decorations were followed by a shower of flowers on devotees, enhancing the divine atmosphere.

“Every Monday sees a large crowd of devotees here, and since today is the last Monday of Sawan, the turnout is even bigger,” said DCP Gaurav Banswal. “To manage the situation, proper barricading has been arranged, and drone surveillance is also being carried out.”

A devotee added, “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, worshippers crowded the Daksheshwar Mahadev Temple in Kankhal, believed to be the in-laws’ home of Lord Shiva, to offer holy Ganga water.

At Pashupatinath Temple, priest Kailash Bhatt noted, “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.”

Similar scenes were witnessed at Aundha Nagnath Temple, where devotees performed jalabhishek at the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga. “We’ve been coming here for the past five years, every Sawan Monday. Whatever we wish for gets fulfilled,” said a regular pilgrim.

Meanwhile, in Ujjain, the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple hosted a special ‘bhasma aarti’, followed by jalabhishek and ritualistic aartis.

In Prabhas Patan, Gujarat, a large crowd gathered at the Somnath Jyotirlinga, and in Uttarakhand, devotees visited the ancient Koteshwar Mahadev Temple to attend the aarti and seek divine blessings.

With the last Monday of Sawan holding immense religious significance, devotees across the country turned out in massive numbers, reflecting their deep faith and devotion to Lord Shiva.

–IANS

rs/dpb