Many worshippers flocked to the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain early on Friday to offer prayers and take part in special ceremonies honouring Lord Shiva on the first day of the holy month of Sawan.
The temple held the customary 'Rudrabhishek' ceremony to commemorate the start of this holy month. Temple priests chanted Vedic mantras while the Shiva Lingam was ceremoniously bathed in milk, curd, and honey. Long lines of worshippers were seen patiently waiting for their turn to offer prayers in images from the temple.
The month of Sawan this year will end on August 9 after starting on July 11. In Hindu calendar, sawan is one of the holiest months of the year for devotees of Lord Shiva is Sawan, which falls in the fifth month of the Hindu lunar calendar. Every Monday of this month is regarded as incredibly auspicious, known as 'Sawan Somwar,' and many people observe fasts and perform rituals in an effort to receive divine blessings.
Goddess Parvati, Lord Shiva's divine consort, is worshipped on Tuesdays, or "Mangalwar," during Sawan. Sawan is an important month in Hindu mythology because it is when Lord Shiva drank the lethal poison that came to the surface during the cosmic ocean's churning (Samudra Manthan) in order to save the universe.
Devotees are seen thronging the temple this time with spiritual rituals and devotion. Many people observe fasts by avoiding grains and consuming only fruits, milk, and foods that are permitted for fasting. Both homes and temples enthusiastically perform rituals like Rudrabhishek, singing bhajans (devotional songs), and chanting Shiva mantras.
Apart from Ujjain, prayers and rituals were also held at the Shree Gaurishankar temple in Chandni Chowk, Delhi. Devotees thronged Sabli Mahadev Mandir in Hapur and Mankameshwar Mahadev Temple in Prayagraj, where similar observances marked the beginning of this spiritually significant month.
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