Bhubaneswar: Devotees thronged Shiva shrines across Odisha on the first Monday of the auspicious month of Shravan to offer prayers before Lord Shiva amid chants of ‘Bol Bam’ and ‘Har Har Mahadev’.
Maximum crowd was seen at important shrines like Dhabaleswar temple in Cuttack, Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar, Loknath temple in Puri, Akhandalamani temple in Bhadrak, Paschimeswar in Angul, among others.
Special arrangements have been made at Dhabaleswar temple for the devotees this year. Priests, vendors, volunteers and local people have all come together to ensure convenience for the saffron-clad Kanwariyas who arrived in batches at the shine on the riverine island in Mahanadi.
“There are five Mondays during Sharvan this year. So, we have made arrangements accordingly for Jala Abhishek. By 4 am the special rituals including Mangala Arati and Jal Abhishek were completed. Local administration and police have extended cooperation for the grand month-long religious event,” a local priest at Dhabaleswar said.
Similar arrangements were made at other Shiva temples for smooth conduct of Jala Abhisehka and other associated rituals. This year, plastic pots and slings are not being allowed into the temples, instead the administration has encouraged use of earthen pots.
For Bol Bam devotees, offering water to the deity will be allowed on July 22, July 29, August 5, August 12, and August 19 (Mondays). Elaborate security arrangements have been made to ensure no untoward incident occurs during this period.
To please Lord Shiva and seek His blessings, devotees undertake an arduous walk to the temple after taking holy water from a river. The process usually starts on Sunday morning or evening, and continues till Monday noon, when the pilgrimage comes to an end by offering holy water to Lord Shiva.
With monsoon at its peak in the month of Shravan (July-August), the tread from the water body to the Shiva temples becomes more difficult.
Bus Carrying Kanwariyas Skids And Jumps Divider, 17 Injured
A bus carrying around 25 Kanwariyas from Anandapur to Puri met with an accident near Chandpur in Panikoili on NH 16. According to sources, the bus was over speeding due to which it jumped the divider and overturned. 17 Kanwariyas were injured in the mishap. Local police admitted the injured in a nearby hospital and seized the ill-fated vehicle. The driver fled from the spot following the incident, sources added.
