Devotees thronged Shiva temples across the State on the first Monday of the holy month of Shravan to pour holy water on the Shiva linga.
long queues of the devotees with pitchers hung from bamboo sticks slung across their shoulders were seen patiently waiting for their turn to pour water on the Shiva linga at the lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar and other Shiva shrines in the capital city
and elsewhere.
A majority of the devotees coming to Bhubaneswar and Puri procured the holy water from the Gadagadia Ghat on the Mahanadi in Cuttack.
The National Highway-5 that passes through Cuttack and Bhubaneswar was a sea of saffron as devotees on Sunday night walked carrying the water on what is popularly known as the Bol Bom trip.
Every year, thousands of devotees, including women, pour water on the Shiva lingas across the State on the four Mondays (sometimes five)
of Shravan.
The annual ritual has attracted more and more people with each passing year with women and children joining in large numbers in recent years.