Devotees pay obeisance to Shiva with prayers & patience

Chanting 'Har Har Mahadev' and 'Bam Bam Bhole', devotees stood patiently in serpentine queues for hours in the sultry weather to offer prayers to Lord Shiva at various temples across the city on the first Monday of Shrawan month.

A young devotee, Ranjana Chaurasiya, waiting patiently for her turn in the queue at Mankameshwar temple in Daliganj, said: "I am observing a fast and came barefoot to seek the blessings of Mahadev to clear the civil services examination."

Jagriti Kashyap, who emerged from the temple after a two-hour wait, said: "Despite excruciating pain in my legs due to prolonged standing, a single glimpse of Mahadev made me forget all the discomfort. I wished for prosperity and restoration of my ailing father's health."

Devotees were seen relishing a falahari bhandara that comprised kuttu ki poori and pakodi, sabudana khichdi, and sabudana kheer. Rush of devotees was also seen at the Mahakaal temple in Rajendranagar. Rashmi Srivastava, an elderly devotee, expressed her gratitude, saying: "Today, I made a special visit to convey my thanks to Mahadev for blessing my daughter with a baby girl after nine long years of marriage."

At the Koneshwar temple in Chowk, thandai was distributed among the devotees. At the Buddheshwar temple on Mohan Road, a sumptuous chhappan bhog was offered to the deity, while devotees were treated with a prasad comprising fruits like mangoes, oranges, bananas, and poori-sabzi.