Varanasi: The sacred month of Shrawan has once again witnessed an unprecedented surge of faith at Kashi Vishwanath Temple, where over 53.69 lakh devotees have offered prayers in the first 19 days alone. With nine days still to go, the temple administration expects the footfall to reach nearly 80 lakh by the end of the holy month.Vishwa Bhushan Mishra, CEO of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust, said the turnout has so far remained in line with estimates prepared ahead of Shrawan. He said the average footfall on each Monday of the holy month has been around 5.5 lakh devotees. Mondays of Shrawan are considered especially auspicious for the worship of Lord Shiv and traditionally attract the highest number of pilgrims.With nine days still remaining, the temple trust expects a further rise in the number of devotees visiting Shri Kashi Vishwanath Dham. Mishra said the arrangements made for crowd movement, darshan and devotee support have helped manage the heavy rush smoothly.According to the temple administration, all facilities at the dham are being operated in accordance with the standard operating procedure. These include end-to-end barricading, lost-and-found centres, medical aid points, help counters, glucose distribution, drinking water facilities, ORS distribution and feeding rooms for mothers with infants.Security has also been strengthened around the temple premises and adjoining routes to ensure the safe and orderly movement of devotees. The administration has focused on preventing congestion and maintaining a continuous flow in queues, particularly during peak hours and on Mondays.Temple authorities have advised devotees not to stand in queues on an empty stomach, as the waiting period for darshan may be long and some visitors may experience dizziness due to crowding, humidity or fatigue. Officials said health and support teams are available to assist devotees wherever required.One of the major achievements of this Shrawan, according to the temple administration, has been keeping the maximum waiting time for darshan between 25 and 30 minutes despite the massive footfall. Mishra said devotees have been able to complete darshan smoothly and leave the temple premises satisfied.He added that all VIP protocols were suspended before the start of Shrawan to prioritise general devotees and ensure fair and seamless access for everyone. However, the administration continues to extend necessary support in specific cases involving persons with disabilities, elderly devotees and situations requiring special security consideration.Mishra said the temple administration is making every effort to balance security, convenience and religious sentiments while managing the continuing rush. The focus remains on ensuring safe darshan, swift movement, medical assistance and essential facilities for devotees visiting Kashi Vishwanath Temple during the remaining days of Shrawan.
