Holy month of 'Sawan' begins with great enthusiasm

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 14 : The holy month of 'Sawan' (Shravan) commenced with great enthusiasm as a large number of devotees were seen visiting the temple to offer prayers to Lord Shiva on Thursday after bathing at a 'Sangam' and 'Dashashwamedh Ghat' in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj.
Prayagraj is the biggest pilgrimage for the Hindus as the water from the banks of River Ganga, where Lord Brahma performed 10 Ahwamedh Yagya, is considered very sacred.
The Kanwariyas, performing Kanwar Yatra take this water to reach Lord Shiva's temple. Ones who worship the lord believe that the water from the banks of River Ganga where Brahma had performed 'Yagyas' is most desirable by the diety.
The police have made all the necessary arrangements for ensuring the smooth continuation of the Kanwar Yatra. Besides the cleanliness of ghat areas, the administration has also deployed police forces for security purposes.
Meanwhile, the highway from Prayagraj to Banaras has also been made a single route so that only Kanwariyas can move there, while all the other vehicles will run on the other track.
The 'Kanwar Yatra' is an annual pilgrimage for Lord Shiva's devotees. The Kanwariyas visit places like Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Sultanganj in Bihar to fetch the holy water of River Ganga and then worship the God with the same water.
Considering that Kanwar Yatra did not take place for the last two years, the administrations have been adopting all the necessary measures to avoid any untoward incident during the holy pilgrimage.
The Delhi Traffic Police has made elaborate arrangements to segregate the movement of Kanwarias and other road users and to minimize inconvenience to the general public and devotees from July 14 to July 26, as the Kanwariyas will enter East District from Maharajpur and Gazipur check post side and will be leaving Delhi for their respective destinations.
Whereas, the Uttarakhand administration has said that pilgrims with swords, tridents and other such harmful objects will not be allowed during the Kanwar Yatra.
Shravan, the fifth month in the Hindu calendar, is considered to be the most auspicious month of the year. It holds great significance for devotees of Lord Shiva, who is the Supreme Lord, the creator, protector, and destroyer of the universe according to Hindu religious beliefs.
During this month, the devotees observe fasts on Mondays which are considered to be particularly auspicious days of the month. Lord Shiva is worshipped on Mondays throughout the year and the Mondays of this month are especially significant with the whole month being dedicated to the lord. The festival is celebrated predominantly in North India.
This year Sawan started on July 14 and will end on August 12. Four Mondays fall during this period- July 18, July 25, August 1, and August 8.