Ahmedabad, August 1, 2013: Free pilgrimage trip and life-size Lord Shiva idols are some of the ideas that temples have come up with for making Shravan interesting.

At Bileshwar Mahadev temple in Satellite, an 18-foot-long idol of Lord Shiva — made of rudraksha — would be put on display for devotees. 

At Bhalkeshwar temple in Khokhra, 150 senior citizens have planned a one-day trip to the Somnath temple in the coming month of Shravan. 

Shravan is considered to be a month for remembering Lord Shiva, observing fast and offering special prayers. So, city temples have planned to celebrate the occasion in a grand manner, albeit with some innovations. 

This time around, temples are ensuring that the holiest month of the Hindu calendar gets a special treatment, which will come as a pleasant surprise for devotees. 

In Shravan, devotees avoid non-vegetarian food and alcohol while many opt for fasting to please Lord Shiva so that their dreams are fulfilled. Along with this, devotees visit Shiva temples, especially on Mondays, to offer bilipatra and flowers. 

However, this time round, devotees would have some added attractions when they visit the temple again. The Bileshwar Mahadev temple has built an 18-foot-long Lord Shiva idol — made of rudraksha. 

“Around 1.25 lakh rudraksha, especially imported panchmukhi rudraksha from Kathmandu, have been used to make this idol. As many as 10 saints from across the country were involved in the process that was completed in 25 days,” said temple priest Raju Bhatt. 

The temple authorities plan to inaugurate the idol on August 7 — the first day of Shravan — and it would be on display for a month. 

At Khokhra’s Bhalkeshwar Mahadev temple, a religious tour has been planned for devotees by the temple authorities. Around 150 senior citizens (above 60 years) would be taken to the Somnath temple on August 11. 

“Visiting Somnath temple during Shravan is considered pious and people will not be charged anything,” said temple trustee Kamlesh Patel. 

The temple has also planned to serve faraali meal to the faithful on every Monday of Shravan.

Source: DNA, August 1, 2013