Balasore, Mar 16: The famous Shaivite shrine Baba Chandaneswar Temple in Bhograi block of Balasore district witnessed a massive influx of devotees on the first Monday of the holy month of Chaitra.

The temple premises turned crowded as thousands of devotees thronged the shrine to offer prayers to Lord Shiva. The daily rituals and morning worship began at around 4 am. After the completion of the temple’s routine rituals, devotees were allowed inside in a disciplined queue to perform darshan and offer prayers.

Inside the sanctum sanctorum, devotees offered coconut, milk and other sacred items to the deity seeking blessings. Many devotees were also seen performing traditional rituals such as Dandi and Badasha offerings.

Priests were engaged in conducting special pujas at different places within the temple complex, including the Nata Mandir, Netra Kunda and near the sacred banyan tree.

Meanwhile, heavy traffic congestion was reported from Biju Golai to the temple area due to the large gathering of devotees. In view of the rush, the local administration made elaborate security and traffic arrangements to ensure the safety and smooth movement of devotees.