Temples in Ahmedabad may receive more footfalls than malls over the coming month, which is the religious month of Shravan according to the Hindu calendar, beginning from Wednesday. It is a month of religious festivals, mostly for devotees of the Shaiv, Vaishnav and Swaminarayan sects, who will offer pooja and fasts over the course of this period.
While all Shiv temples in the city are ready for a month-long pooja to Lord Shiv in Shravan, Swaminarayan and Vaishnav temples are organising Hindola darshans for Lord Krishna.
“Shravan is a month of religious festivals. Lord Shiv will be offered pooja according to the Vedas, and Vedic chants like Maha Mrityunjay will be sung in temples to please the Gods. Many devotees will fast for the entire Shravan month,” said Ajit Shastri, managing trustee, Karnamukteshwar Mahadev at Raipur Darwaja.
“The Shivling of Karnamukteshwar temple is nearly 1,100 years old. So, devotees continue to arrive in big numbers every day to offer pooja at the temple during the Shravan month,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Vaishnav and Swaminarayan temples in the city are preparing to celebrate Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna, in a big way. Presently, they are arranging Hindola darshan, in which the devotees offer pooja through decorative swings that are prepared with cloth, fruit, dry fruit, colour, food etc.
“We are preparing to celebrate Rakshabandhan and Ekadashis, but our prime celebration will be Janmashtami. We will presently arrange decorative Hindola darshans for the devotees. This will last till August 8,” said JK Swami of the Kalupur Swaminarayan Temple.
Talking about the celebrations at Vaishnav havelis (temples), Naveenbhai Dubal, manager of Vallabh Sadan on Ashram Road, said, “In Shravan month, apart from Hindola darshan, we plan on celebrating Janmashtami and Nand Mahotsav. More than 25,000 devotees will visit this haveli on Sundays.”
