Devotees Crowd Key Shiva Temples as Sawan Month Begins Across India

Hindu devotees gathered in large numbers across northern and central India on 11 July, marking the first day of the month-long Sawan period, which is dedicated to Lord Shiva in the Hindu calendar. Long queues were reported at major shrines, including Shree Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, Kashi Vishwanath in Varanasi, Shree Gauri Shankar in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk and Daksheswar Mahadev in Haridwar. Similar scenes were seen at temples in Ayodhya, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, Hapur and Prayagraj, where the faithful offered early-morning prayers and ritual baths along the Ganges. Temple administrations opened their doors before dawn to accommodate the influx, with local authorities deploying additional staff to manage crowd flow. No major incidents were reported by late morning, allowing worshippers to proceed with customary offerings of milk, water and bel leaves.