Ujjain: Priests performed "Bhasma Aarti" at Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain on the occasion of the second Monday of the Sawan month.
Mahakaleshwar's Bhasma Aarti is believed as the most special, as it is the only 'Jyotirling' amongst the 12 where the Bhasma is applied on the 'Shivling'. Hence, it is one of the reasons why people from all across the world come to attend it, said the Mahakaleshwar priest.
The temple is decorated and a large number of devotees were seen participating in the Bhasma Aarti" at Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple.
"I have come here from Haryana to participate in Baba Mahakaal aarti. We felt very good here," said Anuradha, a devotee.
Another devotee said that she comes here every year to offer prayer to Baba Mahakaal as she feels peace here in the temple and love to participate in Bhasma Aarti.
"I have come here to see Bhasma Aarti of Baba Mahakaal. We feel obliged that we were part of Bhasma Aarti on Monday of Sawan month," another devotee added.
In other parts of the country, devotees thronged various temples of Lord Shiva at different places in the country.
Devotees were seen standing in a queue up to offer prayers at Shree Gauri Shankar Temple in Delhi's Chandni Chowk and Chattarpur Shiv Mandir on the second Monday of Sawan.
"Today is the second Monday of Sawan. Preparations are very good so that people can offer prayer easily, said Rajni a devotee who came to offer prayers.
Devotees also offered prayers at Mukteshwar Nath Temple in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur and Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi.
"For the peace of our family and society, we offered prayer to Lord Shiva today. For the last seven years, I am coming here to Mukteshwar Nath Temple. This temple is an ancient temple. The temple is two hundred years old," said a devotee.
Another devotee said that today is "Pradosh" because of which there is much crowd in the temple.
"We thought we won't be able to offer a prayer today because of the crowd but because of Lord Shiva's blessings we were able to offer a prayer today," she added.
Shravan, the fifth month in the Hindu calendar, is considered to be the most auspicious month of the year. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva who, according to Hindu religious beliefs, is the creator, preserver, and destroyer of this universe.
While Lord Shiva is worshipped on Mondays throughout the year, Mondays during this particular month are considered highly significant and auspicious. The festival is celebrated predominantly in the North Indian states.
It is believed that on 'sawan ke somwar' (Mondays falling in the month of Shravan), devotees observe a special fast and visit Shiva temples.
Meanwhile, a large number of Shiva devotees are reaching Haridwar to collect water from the Ganges for the 'Jalabhishek' of Lord Shiva to be held on July 26. Coming from different parts of the country, the devotees fetch Ganga water from sacred places in the country, including Gaumukh, Rishikesh, Haridwar and Gangotri in north India.
The 'Kanwar Yatra' is an annual pilgrimage for Lord Shiva's devotees. The Kanwariyas visit places like Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch the holy water of River Ganga and then worship the God with the same water.
Considering that Kanwar Yatra did not take place for the last two years, the administration in various areas has been adopting all the necessary measures to avoid any untoward incidents during the holy pilgrimage. —ANI
