On the eve of the first Monday of the holy Sawan month, massive crowds of devotees gathered in Ujjain on Sunday to participate in the revered ‘84 Mahadev Yatra’, a pilgrimage devoted to Lord Shiva.
Observed as one of the holiest periods in the Hindu calendar, the Shravan (Sawan) month is especially significant for devotees of Lord Shiva. Worship during this period is believed to bring spiritual peace and relief from worldly troubles. The first Sawan Somwar this year falls on July 15.
The ‘84 Mahadev Yatra’ takes pilgrims across 84 ancient Shiva temples in and around Ujjain, considered sacred in Shaivite tradition. The pilgrimage is a deeply spiritual journey, often undertaken with vows of fasting, chanting of mantras, and performing rituals such as Rudrabhishek, the ceremonial bathing of the Shiva Lingam with holy substances like milk, curd, and honey.
Key Rituals and Observances:
- Mondays (Somwar) are dedicated to Lord Shiva during Sawan, while Tuesdays (Mangalwar) are devoted to Goddess Parvati.
- Devotees observe strict fasts, often consuming only fruits and permitted items.
- Offerings and prayers are made both at home and in temples, with devotional songs and hymns reverberating across sacred sites.
On July 11, marking the start of Sawan, devotees had thronged the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga Temple in Ujjain, where the traditional Bhasma Aarti was performed in the early hours. The temple, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, sees lakhs of pilgrims every year during this sacred month.
This year, Sawan runs from July 11 to August 9, coinciding with numerous spiritual events and temple festivities across India.
