Varanasi: Bathed in devotion and resonating with chants of “Har Har Mahadev”, Varanasi saw an unprecedented influx of devotees and kanwariyas on the last Monday of Shrawan as around 4 lakh devotees offered prayers and ‘Jalabhishek’ at Kashi Vishwanath Temple.The footfall, however, was lower than that recorded during the first three Shrawan Mondays. According to Vishwa Bhushan Mishra, CEO of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust, around 5.5 lakh devotees visited the temple on average on each Monday of the holy month. In the first 19 days of Shrawan alone, more than 53.69 lakh devotees offered prayers.From Sunday night itself, thousands lined up for darshan at Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham, turning the city into a vibrant epicentre of faith and worship.Adorned with vibrant floral arrangements and strands of Rudraksha beads, Kashi Vishwanath Dham radiated an air of devotion and splendour. Flower showers greeted devotees as they entered the temple complex, while resonant chants of “Baba Vishwanath Ki Jai” filled the air. Thousands waited patiently through the night for darshan, and Baba Vishwanath, resplendent in a special Rudraksha Shringar, became the focal point of the day’s spiritual celebrations.Vishwa Bhushan Mishra, Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust, said the temple has been receiving an average footfall of around 5.50 lakh devotees every Monday during Sawan. He said that due to planned administrative arrangements, devotees are completing darshan smoothly within nearly 25 to 30 minutes. Around 80 lakh devotees are expected to visit the temple during the month of Shravan.Extensive arrangements have been made across the temple premises and the city to manage the crowds and ensure devotees’ convenience. Facilities including medical aid, lost-and-found centres, jaggery, drinking water and ORS have been arranged for pilgrims. Drone surveillance is being used for monitoring, while additional police personnel and temporary police outposts have been deployed along the Kanwar route.Women police personnel have also been stationed at key points to ensure the safety and convenience of women Kanwariyas. With the Ganga’s water level rising, authorities have maintained special vigil at the ghats, where continuous patrolling is underway.To ease movement, a no-vehicle zone has been created from Maidagin and Godowlia to Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Free golf cart services are being provided for elderly devotees and persons with disabilities.Heavy rush was also reported at Varanasi Cantt railway station, particularly on trains arriving from Bihar, Prayagraj and Lucknow. Temporary resting areas set up for Kanwariyas were full by Sunday night, with many devotees waiting for darshan while keeping their kanwars beside them.From Mangala Aarti onwards, the final Monday of Shrawan transformed Kashi into a vibrant centre of faith, devotion and continuous worship.
