Bhubaneswar: On the auspicious occasion of second Monday of Shravan month, different Shiva shrines across the state witnessed thousands of Bol Bom devotees, clad in saffron garbs, carrying pots full of sacred water on their shoulders, uttering ‘Bol Bom’ in serpentine queues waiting for their turn to offer prayers to Lord Shiva.
A large number of Kanwariyas thronged Lingaraj Temple here Monday. The temple authorities made elaborate arrangements for the devotees. The main door of the temple was opened since 3.30 am for ‘Sahana Mela’ and ‘Jala Lagi’ rituals.
The devotees entered the shrine in two separated queues. One queue is for general public and another for the Kanwariyas.
“I am a regular Kanawariya to Lingaraj temple during Shravan. The temple administration’s arrangements for hassle free darshan and offering water to the Lord are good,” observed a Kanwariya.
Four platoons of police have been deployed in and around the temple to maintain law and order. This apart, 25 CCTV cameras have been installed on the temple premises to monitor movement of the devotees. Barricades have been put up around the temple to regulate the movement of devotees.
Many other Shiva shrines including the Lokanath Peeth in Puri, the Dhabaleswar Temple in Cuttack, Panchalingeswar Temple in Balasore, Kapilash Temple in Dhenkanal and Akhandalamani Temple in Bhadrak and Ladubaba in Nayagarh district also witnessed thousands of devotees thronging these temples.
PNN