New Delhi, 03 August (H.S.): Devotees across India are celebrating the first Monday of the holy month of Shravan with deep religious fervour, as temples, riverbanks and sacred water bodies resonate with chants of Har Har Mahadev. From Kashmir in the north to Kanyakumari in the south, and from the eastern to the western regions of the country, millions of devotees have gathered at Shiva temples to offer prayers and perform Jalabhishek.

The national capital, New Delhi, is also witnessing an overwhelming display of devotion. Shiva temples across the city opened their doors to devotees before dawn, with thousands arriving early in the morning to offer holy water, milk and prayers to Lord Shiva.

Long queues of devotees have formed at several prominent pilgrimage centres, including the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh), the Baijnath Temple in Himachal Pradesh, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Haridwar and Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, and the Baidyanath Dham Temple in Deoghar, Jharkhand, where devotees are performing Jalabhishek throughout the day.

In Prayagraj, the Sangam area reverberated with chants of Har Har Mahadev as pilgrims took a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam before offering water to the Sun God. In Chitrakoot, devotees bathing in the Mandakini River at Ramghat first proceeded to the Maharajadhiraj Matgajendra Nath Temple to perform Jalabhishek.

Authorities have made elaborate security arrangements at major temples across the country, particularly in the national capital. Personnel from the Delhi Police, paramilitary forces and private security agencies have been deployed to ensure smooth crowd management and public safety.

At the historic Gauri Shankar Temple in Chandni Chowk, devotees began arriving for worship as early as 2 a.m. Security has been significantly tightened, with metal detector gates and baggage screening systems installed at the entrance. This year, devotees will not be allowed to perform Jalabhishek directly inside the sanctum sanctorum. Instead, specially designated offering channels have been created outside the sanctum to facilitate the ritual.

Similar crowd management measures have also been implemented at the Bankhandi Temple in Chandni Chowk and the Vishweshwar Mahadev Temple in Connaught Place, where separate entry and exit routes have been arranged for devotees. The traditional Rudrabhishek ritual has also commenced at the Vishweshwar Mahadev Temple, drawing large numbers of worshippers.

The first Monday of Shravan is regarded as one of the most sacred days for devotees of Lord Shiva, with millions observing fasts, offering prayers and participating in religious ceremonies across the country.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar