Bhubaneswar: With the onset of the first Monday of the Odia month Shravana, thousands of Bol Bam devotees thronged the temple of Lord Shiva across Odisha.
Bol Bam devotees, including women and teens, were seen pouring water on the Lingas of Lord Siva and seeking his blessings in Shiva temples across the state. These devotes from far-flung regions, including Bihar, travelled barefoot to these temples, especially the Lingaraj Temple in the capital city, which witnessed large congregation of devotees.
Two platoons of police have been deployed outside the Lingaraj temple for the smooth movement of the devotees. Besides, 21 CCTV cameras have been installed on the premises to keep a close watch on the devotees making their way to the sanctum sanctorum queues.
Similar rush was also witnessed at the Loknath Temple in Puri, Akhandalamani Temple in Bhadrak, Dhabaleswar Temple on the outskirts of Cuttack, Kapilash Temple in Dhenkanal, Gupteswar Temple in Koraput and Ladu Baba Temple at Sarankul in Nayagarh district.
However, there has been a fall in the number of Bol Bam devotees making a beeline for these temples due to the total lunar eclipse June 27.