PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The temples located across Dehradun witnessed a large number of devotees on the occasion of Sawan Shivratri on Wednesday. Sawan Shivratri is celebrated in the month of Shravan (Sawan) during which the devotees offer prayers to Lord Shiva in the form of Jal Abhishek and other rituals. Many devotees were seen standing patiently in queues in the temples to offer prayers on this auspicious day.
A priest at one of these temples, Ujjwal Dimri shared that offering prayers to Lord Shiva on Sawan Shivratri is considered highly auspicious. “The devotees offer curd, honey, sandalwood paste and milk to the deity,” he said, adding that a Bhajan-Kirtan programme was organised to mark this occasion.
A devotee, Priyanka Saini said that she had been maintaining a fixed tradition meant for this occasion for years. “Every year on Sawan Shivratri, I wake up early to prepare Kheer as prasad. I then visited the temple in my neighbourhood and distributed the prasad among the devotees who were found there. Besides, I offered milk, honey and other items to the Shivling as part of my prayers for Divine blessing and protection,” she recounted.
Apart from the temples, crowds were noticed at the shops which sell the pooja items. They did brisk business all through the day with the devotees thronging them since morning.
