Kolkata, 4 August (H.S.) On the last Monday of the month of Sawan, a huge crowd of devotees was seen in Shiva temples in various districts of West Bengal. From the morning itself, the devotees started offering water to Lord Shiva. On this occasion, filled with faith, devotion and enthusiasm, special puja was organized in the temples.

A huge crowd of devotees gathered in the famous Jalpesh temple of Jalpaiguri, Baba Dhaneshwarnath temple of Kolkata, Bhairavnath temple of Bankura and Shiva temple located at Tarapith in Birbhum, Tarakeshwar temple of Hooghly. Devotees filled water from the Ganges and local rivers and travelled long distances to reach the temple with the slogans of 'Bol Bam' and 'Har Har Mahadev' and performed Jalabhishek of Lord Shiva.

Women also participated in the worship in large numbers by keeping fast. Many devotees prayed for the happiness, peace and prosperity of their families by performing special Rudrabhishek and Mahamrityunjay Jaap.

Extensive arrangements were made by the local administration and police to control the crowd and facilitate the devotees. Medical camps, drinking water arrangements and deployment of volunteers kept the system smooth.

On this last Monday of Sawan, shops selling flowers, Belpatra, Puja material and Prasad also saw a lot of activity. Fairs held around temples also made this religious atmosphere more lively.

Overall, a wonderful atmosphere was seen during the Jalabhishek of Lord Shiva in the Shiva temples of the state.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey