Kathmandu, July 20: Thousands of devotees gathered at Pashupatinath Temple and Shiva shrines across Nepal from early Monday morning to mark the first Monday of Shrawan, the holiest month dedicated to Lord Shiva in the Hindu calendar.
The first Monday of Shrawan is observed with special prayers and devotion, with worshippers offering water, milk, and sacred leaves to Shiva and observing fasts.
For centuries, Hindus have marked every Monday of Shrawan by performing prayers, meditation, ritual bathing of the Shiva Lingam, and charitable acts. Religious scriptures hold that worshipping Lord Shiva on these days fulfills wishes, removes sins, brings mental peace, and promotes happiness and prosperity in the family.
The religious significance of Shrawan is linked to the legend of Samudra Manthan, or the churning of the cosmic ocean. According to Hindu mythology, the deadly Halahala poison emerged before the nectar of immortality. To save the universe, Lord Shiva drank the poison, which turned his throat blue. It is believed this took place during the month of Shrawan, and the gods continuously poured water over Shiva to reduce the poison’s heat. The ritual of offering water to the Shiva Lingam throughout Shrawan commemorates that event.
Monday is regarded as Lord Shiva’s sacred day. The Sanskrit word “Som” means moon, and Shiva is also known as Chandrashekhar because he wears the moon on his matted hair.
Since the moon symbolizes calmness and peace, devotees believe worshipping Shiva on Mondays brings emotional balance, relieves stress, and attracts positive energy. The Mondays of Shrawan are considered especially auspicious compared to Mondays in other months.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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