PATNA: Devotees thronged several temples across the state, to pay their obeisance to Lord Shiva on the occasion of the third Somwari (Monday) of Shrawan month. The devotees kept pouring in at temples since early morning and they performed rituals thorough out the day.
The excitement and religious fervour were palpable on the occasion as hundreds of men and women waited long hours for their turn to offer 'Gangajal' on Lord Shiva-believed to be the destructor of impurities and the god who helps his devotee attain 'moksha (salvation)'.
In Begusarai, huge crowd of devotees were witnessed at Simaria Dham and Jhamatia ghat in Bachhwara, where devotees collected Gangajal. After travelling more than 40 km on foot throughout the night, they offered prayers and performed 'jalabhishek' at the Hargiridham temple in Garhpura.
Devotees moved slowly on the Begusarai-Garhpura road all through the day due to long lines at temples. With chants of 'Jai Bholenath ' and 'Har-Har Mahadeo', the atmosphere was filled with religious fervour on the stretch. To streamline the huge rush of devotees, the district administration had made elaborate security arrangements in and around the Hargiridham temple.
A large turnout of devotees was also witnessed at almost all prominent Shiva temples in the state capital. Thousands of devotees thronged the Khajpura Shiva mandir as well as Bihteshwarnath Mahadeo mandir in the city.
Meanwhile, a huge crowd of devotees congregated at the Gandhi Maidan in Mahua in Vaishali district from where a tanker full of Gangajal was taken to Bateshwarnath temple in Jandaha to pay obeisance to Lord Shiva.
