Bhubaneswar, August 24: The final Monday of the holy month of Shravan witnessed massive gatherings of Kanwariya devotees at prominent Shiva shrines across Odisha on Monday. Thousands of devotees arrived at various temples carrying holy water from rivers and other water bodies to perform Jalabhishek and seek the blessings of Lord Shiva.

At the famous Sri Lokanath Temple in Puri, thousands of Kanwariyas gathered from different parts of the state to offer water to Lord Lokanath and pray for the fulfillment of their wishes. The temple doors were opened around midnight, following which the Mangal Aarti and other rituals were performed. Jalabhishek by the Kanwariyas began thereafter.

In view of the heavy rush, the Sri Lokanath Temple Trust, district administration and police made elaborate arrangements. Barricades were installed and devotees were allowed to enter the temple in queues. A ₹30 ticket was also arranged for devotees wishing to perform the water offering. Security personnel were deployed to ensure smooth movement of devotees and maintain law and order inside and outside the temple premises.

At Baba Chandaneswar Temple in Bhogarai, lakhs of Kanwariyas turned up to perform Jalabhishek. The temple doors opened at around 4 a.m., following which the rituals and water-offering ceremony began. Devotees from Odisha and neighbouring states had been arriving since Sunday night carrying water from various river ghats.

The devotees offered water, milk and bel leaves to Baba Chandaneswar after completing their vows. Due to the heavy rush, worshippers were also performing rituals at the Natamandap. A long queue stretched from the temple to the main road, with devotees reportedly waiting for nearly two hours for Jalabhishek. The district administration deployed additional security measures to ensure the safety of the pilgrims.

Similar scenes were witnessed across Ganjam district, where large numbers of Kanwariyas gathered at various Shiva temples from the early hours of Monday. Devotees carried holy water collected from different ghats over long distances on their shoulders while chanting “Bol Bam” before offering it at their chosen Shiva shrines. Devotees believe that offering water to Lord Shiva during Shravan helps fulfil their wishes.

At the renowned Ladubaba shrine in Saranakul, more than 4,000 Kanwariyas had already performed Jalabhishek by Monday morning, while many more remained in the queue. The temple opened at around 1 a.m., and after the completion of the rituals, Jalabhishek began at approximately 2 a.m.

Kanwariyas from different parts of the district and outside areas brought water from Kantilo, Cuttack and other rivers across Odisha to offer at the shrine as part of their vows. The temple administration and police made elaborate security arrangements to manage the large gathering and ensure the smooth conduct of the rituals.