Holy month of Shravan begins with spiritual fervour

Ranchi: The holy month of Shravan began on Friday with thousands of devotees thronging Shiva temples across Ranchi, particularly the historic Pahari Mandir, to offer jalabhishek and seek blessings from Lord Shiva. The temple premises reverberated with chants of "Har Har Mahadev" and "Om Namah Shivay" from as early as 4 am, marking a spiritually charged start to the sacred month.Long queues stretched down the slopes of Pahari Mandir as men, women, and children stood barefoot with kalash and dhatura flowers, many wearing saffron clothes symbolising devotion. Heavy security arrangements were put in place to manage the surge at Pahari Mandir, with separate queues for men and women, barricades, and medical kiosks on standby. "This is not just a religious ritual for us, it's a feeling. I've been coming to Pahari Mandir every Shravan for last 15 years. I wake up at 2 am, take a bath, and walk up to the temple. It gives me peace," said Pushpa Devi, a homemaker from Upper Bazar.Special arrangements were also in place at all major temples in Ranchi, including Jagannath temple, Panch temple, Shivalaya temple, and Shiv Shakti temple. Volunteers and civic bodies joined hands to provide drinking water, and first aid to the devotees."This is not just about religion, it's about the discipline and positive energy that Shravan brings. Just being here uplifts your spirit," said Praveen Jha, a devotee at Panch temple in BariatuRanchi sub-divisional officer (SDO), Utkarsh Kumar, who personally visited Pahari Mandir to oversee arrangements, said, "Shravan always sees massive footfall across temples, and we've made provisions keeping that in mind. Our focus is on crowd regulation, medical support, and overall coordination with temple committees to ensure a safe and smooth experience for devotees." Priests across temples conducted Rudri path, abhishek, and offered flowers and bel leaves to the deity. "Shravan is the month of transformation. It's believed that even the smallest act of devotion in this month yields multiplied blessings," said Ramesh Ojha, a priest at Kokar road temple.