Devotees offer prayers at Ujjain's Mahakaleshwar Temple on third Monday of 'Sawan'

Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) [India], August 5 : Prayers were offered at the Mahakaleshwar temple in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain on the third Monday of 'Sawan'. On the occasion, Bhasma Aarti was also performed at the temple.
Prayers were also offered at Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Uttar Pradesh and Gauri Shankar Mandir in the national capital.
On Friday, scores of devotees thronged Mahakaleshwar temple to offer prayers on the occasion of 'Sawan Shivratri'.

On this occasion, the devotees also took a dip in the Ganga river.

Sawan month is considered the month of Lord Shiva. The devotees who worshipped the Lord Shiva this month received tonnes of blessings. During the Sawan month, a day of Shivratri is also celebrated and the importance of Sawan Shivratri is the same and equal to that of the yearly Shivratri.
This sacred month, typically falling between July and August, is a period of worship, fasting and pilgrimage dedicated to the Lord Shiva.
Sawan holds a special place in Hindu mythology as the month when Lord Shiva is believed to have consumed the poison that emerged from the churning of the ocean (Samudra Manthan), saving the universe from its toxic effects.
Devotees undertake fasting and offer prayers to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva during this period. The cooling rains of Sawan are symbolic of Shiva's compassion and benevolence.
During Sawan, devotees typically observe fasts on Mondays, which are considered auspicious.
Many choose to abstain from consuming grains and eat only fruits, milk, and specific foods permissible during fasting.
The chanting of Shiva mantras, singing bhajans (devotional songs), and performing Rudrabhishek (a ceremonial bathing of Shiva Lingam with holy substances) are common practices observed with fervour across households and temples.