On the first Monday of the holy month of Sawan, large crowds of devotees gathered at major Lord Shiva temples across Bihar and Jharkhand. At Baba Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar, Kanwariyas and other devotees queued for nearly 5 kilometres for Jalabhishek and darshan, while heavy footfall was also reported at prominent Shiva temples in Muzaffarpur and Ajgaibinath.
In Deoghar, Kanwariyas who had carried Ganga water on foot from Sultanganj were joined by a large number of local devotees for worship at Baba Baidyanath Temple. Temple authorities and the administration maintained continuous monitoring to facilitate devotees and ensure security. Barricades and designated routes were used to regulate the movement of crowds.
Heavy crowds were also reported from major Shiva temples across Bihar from the morning due to the first Sawan Monday. In Muzaffarpur, about 100,000 devotees were reported to have performed Jalabhishek. Devotees continued arriving at various Shiva temples in the city throughout the morning for worship and ritual offerings.
At temples in Muzaffarpur, devotees offered Ganga water, milk, bael leaves, dhatura and flowers to Lord Shiva. Women, children and elderly devotees were among those who participated in the worship. Long queues were seen outside several temples from the morning.
Special arrangements had been made at temples for the occasion. Devotees were allowed to enter temple premises in an orderly manner because of the large crowds. Volunteers and police personnel were deployed at several locations.
A large gathering of devotees was also reported at Ajgaibinath Temple in Bhagalpur, where around 50,000 devotees were reported to have arrived. After taking a holy dip in the Ganga at Sultanganj, devotees performed Jalabhishek at Ajgaibinath Mahadev before many Kanwariyas continued their journey towards Deoghar.
The Kanwariya route from Sultanganj to Deoghar witnessed continuous movement of devotees carrying Ganga water on their shoulders. Service camps were set up along the route, providing water, sherbet, food and primary medical assistance for Kanwariyas.
Crowds began gathering at the Ganga ghats near Ajgaibinath from the morning. Devotees first took a holy dip in the river before offering prayers at the temple. Security arrangements were strengthened in the temple complex in view of the crowd.
Leaders associated with Bihar politics also visited Shiva temples on the occasion of the first Sawan Monday. Tejashwi Yadav offered prayers and performed Jalabhishek at a temple and extended greetings to devotees on the occasion.
The highest pressure of visitors at Baba Baidyanath Dham in Deoghar was reported during the morning hours. The nearly 5-kilometre-long queue resulted in extended waiting times for darshan, while devotees remained in the queue throughout.
The administration made special arrangements for the safety of devotees in the temple area and along the Kanwariya route. Police and security personnel were deployed at crowded locations, and crowds were monitored through CCTV and other means.
Traffic arrangements were also modified for the occasion. Vehicular movement around temples and major religious sites was regulated to facilitate pedestrian movement for devotees.
Devotees from different districts of Bihar also visited major Shiva temples. Many people from rural areas reached temples early in the morning, while several devotees had been waiting outside temple premises since the previous night.
Special decorations were carried out at Shiva temples for the first Sawan Monday. Lord Shiva was adorned with flowers at some temples, while worship with sacred ash and bael leaves was performed at others. Temple premises echoed with the sound of bells and Vedic chants from the morning.
Sultanganj remains one of the most important stops for Kanwariyas travelling to Deoghar. After collecting Ganga water there, devotees undertake an approximately 100-kilometre walk to Baba Baidyanath Dham. During the Sawan month, lakhs of Kanwariyas travel along this route.
Managing large crowds safely remained the primary administrative focus during the first Sawan Monday. Despite long queues, efforts were made to ensure orderly movement of devotees.
The reported presence of about 100,000 devotees in Muzaffarpur and around 50,000 at Ajgaibinath reflected the scale of religious activity on the first Sawan Monday, while the nearly 5-kilometre queue at Baba Baidyanath Dham highlighted the large turnout of devotees.
