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Uttar Pradesh was immersed in devotion to Lord Shiva on Tuesday as devotees across the state celebrated Sawan Shivratri. From prominent Shiva temples in western Uttar Pradesh to Kashi in Purvanchal and Ramnagari Ayodhya, long queues of devotees and chants of “Bam Bam Bhole” were witnessed outside every temple. Since early morning, Shiva devotees carrying Ganga water and belpatra had begun arriving at the doors of temples.

The Yogi Government had made extensive security arrangements around temples. Police and administrative officials maintained strict vigilance to facilitate hassle-free jalabhishek. Continuous rainfall in some districts failed to dampen the enthusiasm of devotees, as if nature itself had joined in the abhishek of Bholenath. On the auspicious occasion, devotees performed Rudrabhishek in temples and homes.

The surge of faith witnessed at Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham since the Monday of the holy month of Shravan continued through Sawan Shivratri on Tuesday. Lakhs of Shiva devotees and Kanwariyas visited the court of Kashi Puradhipati Baba Vishwanath to offer jalabhishek and seek blessings.

Special arrangements were made to ensure smooth darshan, while the police maintained tight security from Kanwar routes to the temple premises. Enhanced security and visitor facilities were also put in place at Mrityunjay Mahadev Temple, Shri Tilbhandeshwar Mahadev Temple, Markandeya Mahadev Temple, Gauri Kedareshwar Temple, Shooltankeshwar Mahadev Temple and all other Shiva temples across the city. The entire city of Kashi resonated with chants of Har Har Mahadev and Bol Bam, while devotees arriving from distant places displayed immense enthusiasm for darshan and jalabhishek.

Ramnagari Ayodhya also echoed with chants of Har Har Mahadev and Bam Bam Bhole on Sawan Shivratri. Devotees began gathering before dawn not only at Shiva temples but also for darshan at Ram Lalla and Hanumangarhi.

After taking a holy dip in the Saryu River, devotees visited the ancient Nageshwarnath Temple, believed to have been established by Kush, the son of Lord Shri Ram, and performed jalabhishek. Long queues were also witnessed at the Ram Temple and Hanumangarhi. Amid barricading, deployment of security personnel and phased entry arrangements, devotees offered prayers at various Shiva temples across Ayodhya and prayed for happiness and prosperity.

At Meerut’s historic Augharnath Temple, queues of devotees began forming as early as 4 a.m. Anticipating a large gathering, the administration created a three-tier security system. Around 400 police personnel, along with ATS teams, bomb disposal squads, dog squads and drone surveillance, were deployed for continuous monitoring.

At the famous Pura Mahadev Temple in Baghpat, the enthusiasm of devotees remained undiminished despite heavy rainfall. At the ancient Dudheshwar Nath Temple in Ghaziabad, jalabhishek began at midnight. In view of the expected crowd, vehicle entry was restricted nearly half a kilometre before the temple and traffic diversions were implemented.

In Moradabad, heavy crowds of Kanwariyas and local devotees gathered from 4 am onwards at Siddhapeeth Chaurasi Ghanta Temple, Jharkhandi Shiva Temple, Mahakaleshwar Dham and Rinmukteshwar Mahadev Temple in Buddhi Vihar. More than 10,000 devotees performed jalabhishek at Chaurasi Ghanta Temple alone, where devotees also took part in a grand Maha Aarti.

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