LUCKNOW, July 11 -- Braving sultry weather conditions, devotees were seen waiting in long queues outside Lord Shiva temples to offer prayers on the first day of Sawan on Friday even as the chants of "Om Namah Shivay" and "Bam Bam Bhole" echoed in the air.

Amongst the devotees was a daughter-in-law and mother-in-law duo, Anupama Gupta (29) and Ranu Gupta (60), who visited the Dwadasha Jyotirlinga Temple in Sadar. They said marking the first day of Sawan month with a temple visit was heartwarming.

"Sawan always reminds us of the beginning of the festive season. We will try and visit the temple every Monday this month to perform a special puja," they said.

Sisters Anvita Srivastava (40) and Anjali Srivastava (30), who visited the Mahakal ...