Balasore, Mar 30: The famous Shaiva shrine, Baba Chandaneswar peetha in Bhograi block, Balasore district, witnessed a large gathering of devotees today on third Monday of Chaitra month.

From early morning at 4 am following the completion of the daily routine rituals, devotees patiently queued up in long lines to enter the temple. They offered prayers inside the sanctum sanctorum, presenting traditional offerings such as paddy and milk to the deity.

Apart from regular rituals, devotees are also performing customary practices such as danda rituals and bandha-fingi. Meanwhile, priests conducted worship at various temple premises, including Nata Mandir, Netra Kunda, and under the sacred Bar tree.

With heavy traffic congestion reported from Biju Golei to the temple, the administration has put in place strict arrangements to ensure the safety and smooth movement of devotees.