E-Paper
Grand festivities mark first Monday of Sawan
In the morning, devotees marched towards prominent Shiva temples in Agra, Aligarh, Mathura, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Hathras, Etah and Kasganj to offer prayers and milk to the presiding deity.
Temple bells began ringing in the wee hours of the first Monday of the Sawan month in several towns and cities of the Braj region. In Agra, a religious fair at the Rajeshwar Temple, located in a remote corner of the city, marked the start of the Sawan festivities.
In the morning, devotees marched towards prominent Shiva temples in Agra, Aligarh, Mathura, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Hathras, Etah and Kasganj to offer prayers and milk to the presiding deity.
Kanwarias brought Ganga water from Soron near Kasganj and other cities located on the banks of the river and offered it to Lord Shiva.
In Agra, long queues of devotees were regulated by police and volunteers at the famous Rajeshwar temple. The city has four major Shiva temples in its four corners where religious fairs will be organised every Monday of Sawan. The next fair is scheduled to be held at the Balkeshwar temple on the banks of the Yamuna.
The third fair -- usually the grandest of all -- will be organised at the Kailash Mahadev temple near the Agra-Delhi national highway. The festivities conclude with the Prithvinath temple fair.
In view of the festivity, traffic restrictions were put in place from Sunday evening, a senior traffic official said. No heavy vehicle was allowed to enter the city limits since 4 pm on Sunday.
