Childless couples seek Lord Shiva’s blessings

Varanasi: Married couples from eastern UP cities on Wednesday performed special rituals at city’s Lolark Kund on the occasion of Lolark Shashti in the hope of being blessed with a child.
Lolark Shashthi is dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva and the sun god.
Devotees started queuing up in Bhadaini area since midnight to perform prayers. By the morning, queues on both the roads leading to the ‘kund’ covered a distance of two-and-a-half kilometres.
Sarita Singh from Deoria, who was waiting in the queue, said, “We have been trying to have a child for last five years but to no avail. I know people who have been blessed with a child after they visited this place. I have also come here to try my luck.” Regional archaeological officer, Varanasi, Dr Subhash Chandra Yadav said the tradition of worshipping the sun in Varanasi was quite old. Citing historical and anecdotal references, he said: “The Lolark Kund at Bhadaini was built by Garhwal kings in the 12th and 13th centuries. The well-like structure deteriorated over the time. The current building was, however, restored by a king from Cooch Behar in the 19th century.”
Sharing an anecdote behind the ceremonies, a panda samaj representative Rajesh Mishra said: “Suffering from leprosy, a childless man from the royal family of Cooch Behar in West Bengal reached Varanasi to spend the last days of his life. On one occasion, he accidentally slipped into the ‘kund’. When he came out, his health started improving. When he finally recovered and returned home, he was blessed with a son. He came back to Varanasi and got the place renovated.” “Couples perform special puja before taking a dip in the ‘kund’. After taking holy dip, they shun their clothes, a fruit and some flowers in the water body. They also pledge to come back and get the ‘mundan sanakar’ (tonsuring) of their child done on the same spot if their wish is fulfilled,” said Amber Shukla, a shop keeper in Lanka area.