Bhubaneswar: With the onset of the first Monday of Shravana month, thousands of ‘Bol Bam’ devotees thronged several Shiva temples across Odisha.
Bol Bam devotees, dressed in saffron-coloured clothes, were seen pouring water on ‘Shivlings’ and seeking the blessing of the almighty.
Notably, the devotees began their journey carrying water in small pots from various rivers across the state and reached the temples with chants in praise of Lord Shiva.
The state government has made elaborate security arrangements at major Shiva shrines across the state including the Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar, Lokanath temple in Puri, Dhabaleswar temple in Cuttack and Kapilash in Dhenkanal district in view of the huge rush of devotees.
Also read: Major fire at govt medicine godown in Bhubaneswar
According to Hindu mythology, during Samudra Manthan, or the churning of the ocean, along with innumerable gems and jewels emerged the poison ‘Halahala’ which could destroy everything. While the gods and demons were wondering what to do, Lord Shiva came to rescue and drank the poison. The poison was so strong that his throat started burning and all the gods started pouring holy water from rivers so that the poison would get diluted.
It is also believed that Lord Indra caused heavy rain to reduce the temperature. This is how the practice of pouring water on Lord Shiva in the month of Shravana is believed to have originated.
PNN
