Varanasi: Kashi turned into a sea of saffron and devotion on the third Monday of Shrawan, which coincided with Nag Panchami, as over 5 lakh devotees and kanwariyas offered prayers at Kashi Vishwanath Temple till 5 pm. Shiv temples across Varanasi and its rural areas witnessed heavy footfall, with devotees offering ‘jalabhishek’ and prayers amid chants of “Har Har Mahadev” and “Baba Vishwanath Ki Jai.”At Kashi Vishwanath Dham, devotees began queuing up from the previous night. After the ‘mangala aarti’, they offered water to Lord Shiv and prayed for well-being and prosperity. The temple premises reverberated with chants as devotees waited for darshan.On the occasion, Lord Shiv was adorned in the Ardhanarishwar form at Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Grand floral decorations were arranged, while Kanwariyas and devotees arriving for darshan were welcomed with showers of flowers, including from a helicopter.During Shrawan, Baba Vishwanath is adorned in different forms every Monday. On the first Monday, devotees had darshan of Baba’s movable idol in the Shankar form, while on the second Monday, they witnessed the Gauri-Shankar form. Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust CEO Vishwabhushan Mishra said the special Ardhanarishwar shringar reflected the religious traditions and beliefs of Kashi.The Vishwanath Gali Vyavsayik Sangh also performed ‘jalabhishek’ of Shri Vishwanath as part of the ongoing Shrawan rituals. Several organisations and devotees across Kashi are conducting ‘jalabhishek’ throughout the holy month.In view of the heavy rush, security arrangements were tightened in and around the temple. Vehicles were restricted from Maidagin to Godowlia, while traffic diversions were implemented on key routes leading to Vishwanath Dham to ensure smooth movement of devotees.Free golf carts were arranged for elderly and differently-abled devotees. Additional sheds were installed along routes and queues to provide relief from sun, rain and humidity. Industrial air coolers, RO drinking water and ORS were also provided for devotees waiting in queues.Three medical assistance centres were set up inside the temple premises, along with free ambulance services for emergencies. A lost-and-found centre remained operational, with multilingual staff deployed to assist pilgrims.Seven LED screens were installed at different points in the dham, allowing devotees to watch live darshan and puja from the sanctum. Live darshan was also available through the temple trust’s official website, YouTube channel and authorised broadcast platforms.The temple premises and surrounding areas were monitored round the clock through CCTV cameras. The administration maintained special vigilance over crowd management, security, healthcare and traffic arrangements.According to estimates, more than five lakh devotees may visit Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple for darshan and jalabhishek on Shrawan Mondays. On other days of Shrawan, the average footfall is crossing two lakh.Other major Shiva temples in Kashi, including Mrityunjay Mahadev Temple, Shri Tilbhandeshwar Mahadev Temple, Markandey Mahadev Temple, Gauri Kedareshwar Temple and Shooltankeshwar Mahadev Temple, also witnessed a significant rise in devotees.Special emphasis was placed on the safety of women Kanwariyas. Police Commissioner Mohit Agarwal said women police officers had been deployed on all kanwar routes, along with a large number of women constables. Additional women police personnel were stationed at police stations and temporary as well as permanent police outposts.Women police personnel were also deployed at Kashi Vishwanath Temple and the ghats. Police staff received soft-skills training to ensure respectful conduct with devotees. Special training was also provided on women’s and children’s safety, dignity, self-reliance and women empowerment.
