Shrawan ends; over 2L offer prayers at KVT on last Mon

VARANASI: The Kashi Vishwanath temple witnessed an overwhelming turnout of over two lakh devotees on the last day of the auspicious Shrawan month, which concluded on Monday. Other prominent temples of Lord Shiva in the city also remained heavily crowded on the occasion.
According to KV temple’s chief executive officer Vishwa Bhushan Mishra, since the opening of Garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) for Jhanki Darshan (offering prayers and Jalabhishek from outside the doors) till 11 pm, a total of 2,02,756 devotees offered Jalabhishek and prayers to Lord Vishwanath on the last Monday of the Holy month.On the occasion, Jhoola Shringar was organised with the rituals traditionally performed with the Panchbadan idol. According to the temple records, the total figure of devotees at the temple during the Shrawan month crossed 54 lakhs, with each Monday seeing a turnout of over 2 lakh devotees. As compared to the past four Mondays, the number of saffron-clad Kanwariyas was less on the fifth Monday, which coincided with the festival of Rakshabandhan.
Under the guidance of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who also visited KV temple during his two-day visit to the city on Sunday, the temple administration successfully managed the crowd and events during the auspicious month with a foolproof plan. This facilitated smooth crowd management and other arrangements. Respecting the devotion of the pilgrims and ensuring their safety and easy access to the temple, the Yogi govt successfully completed the Shravan month festivities.
Throughout the Shrawan month, the administration, police, CRPF commandos, traffic police personnel, medical teams, fire brigade, NDRF, and river police worked tirelessly to keep devotees safe amidst the massive crowding. Arrangements such as German hangers, drinking water, wet carpets, industrial coolers, and refreshments were continuously provided to them at the temple. Besides KVT, massive crowding was evident at Markandeya Mahadev temple on the confluence of Ganga and Gomati river in Kaithi area, Vishwanath temple of BHU, Gauri Kedareshwar, Tilbhandeshwar, Mrityunjaya Mahadev, Jageshwar Mahadev, Shooltankeshwar, and all other prominent temples of Lord Shiva.