- Two Madhya Pradesh temples marked Independence Day on August 11, ahead of August 15
- Pashupatinath Temple in Mandsaur and Bade Ganesh Temple in Ujjain follow Hindu calendar dates
- Rituals included special worship, flag hoisting, Tiranga Yatra, and distribution of prasad
Amid preparations across India to celebrate the 80th Independence Day on August 15, two famous temples in Madhya Pradesh, dedicated to Lord Shiva and Ganesh, marked the national festival four days early on August 11.
Special religious rituals, prayers, flag hoisting and a Tiranga Yatra were highlights of Independence Day celebrations at these two shrines, one in Mandsaur district and the other in Ujjain.
The Pashupatinath Temple in Mandsaur and Bade Ganesh Temple in Ujjain follow a unique tradition of celebrating Independence Day on Chaturdashi of the Krishna Paksha of Shravan, according to the Hindu calendar, instead of August 15.
Priests said August 15, 1947, when India gained independence from British rule, corresponded to Shravan Krishna Chaturdashi in the Hindu calendar.
This year, the Hindu calendar date for Independence Day fell on August 11.
At the ancient Pashupatinath Temple on the banks of the Shivna river in Mandsaur, about 250 km from Indore, special religious rituals were held on Tuesday to mark Independence Day.
Umesh Joshi, president of the Jyotish and Karmakand Parishad, an organisation of temple priests and devotees, told PTI that the eight-faced 'Shivling' at the Mandsaur temple was specially decorated and worshipped during the celebrations.
About 250 devotees attended the programme, and 'prasad' (offering) was distributed.
"We performed an 'abhishek' of the Shivling with water containing 'durva', a special type of grass used in worship, while chanting Vedic hymns. We prayed for India to become a developed nation by 2047," Joshi said.
He said Hindus traditionally believe that performing abhishek (sacred ritual bath) of Lord Shiva with water containing 'durva' helps devotees overcome difficulties.
Joshi informed that the tradition of celebrating Independence Day on Shravan Krishna Chaturdashi at the ancient temple has been continuing since 1985.
The famous Bade Ganesh Temple in Ujjain also celebrated Independence Day on Tuesday (August 11) with traditional devotion and enthusiasm.
Priest Akshat Vyas, associated with the temple management, said the shrine had followed a decades-old tradition of observing national festivals according to dates in the Hindu calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar (standard solar system of dates used in most parts of the world).
Lord Ganesh is also worshipped at the temple as the "God of the republic", he maintained.
A Tiranga Yatra was taken out to the temple on August 11 amid drumbeats and patriotic slogans, Vyas said.
"After offering the national flag to Lord Ganesh on Independence Day, a special 'maha aarti' (grand worship ritual) was performed. The tricolour was then hoisted on the temple's main spire," Vyas said.
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