Mumbai, July 14 : On the auspicious occasion of the first Shravan Somvaar, politician-actress Smriti Irani offered prayers to Lord Shiva.

Taking to Instagram, she shared a photo where she is seen putting curd and flowers on a Shivling. She captioned the post in Hindi, 'Namaste Astu Lord Vishweshwaray Mahadevai Tripurantakaya Best wishes to all of you on the first Monday of Shravan month, dedicated to Lord Shiva. May devotion, strength, and prosperity be there in all of us with the grace of Bholenath. Har Har Mahadev!.'

Ahead of the launch of her show 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2,' Smriti offered her prayers on the first Shravan Somvaar. She shared a photo of a Shivling and extended heartfelt wishes to everyone.

Shravan, also known as Sawan Maas, is considered one of the most sacred months in the Hindu calendar. Devotees dedicate this time to worshipping Lord Shiva and often observe fasts, known as Shravan Somwar or Sawan Somwar Vrats, on all Mondays throughout the month. The first Monday of the Sawan month falls on July 14.

Meanwhile, Smriti Irani is all set to reprise the iconic role of Tulsi Virani after 25 years in 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2.' The show will also star Amar Upadhyay as Mihir Virani, Hiten Tejwani, Gauri Pradhan, Shakti Anand, Kamalika Guha Thakurta, Shagun Sharma, Rohit Suchanti, Aman Gandhi, Ankit Bhatia, and Tanisha Mehta.

In a lengthy Instagram post, producer Ekta Kapoor had earlier revealed why she initially said no to the idea of relaunching her iconic TV show. She posted a note that read, 'Why Kyunki, why now? When the 25th year of 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi' was approaching and the idea of relaunching it surfaced, my first reaction was a firm no! Why would I want to shake up nostalgia? You can never compete with nostalgia. It always remains supreme. How I remember my childhood and how it really was, will always be different.'

'Also, the television space has changed. Once dependent on 9 cities, audiences now consume content in fragments, scattered across platforms. Would this shake the legacy of Kyunki, the iconic TRP no one ever achieved before or after?

Kapoor added, 'But was that truly the legacy of the show? Was it just a show with high numbers? Research carried out by an international body once concludes that the show gave a voice to women in Indian homes. Between 2000 and 2005, for the first time, women began participating in family discussions, a shift deeply influenced by Indian television, especially, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki.'

'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi Season 2' will premiere on July 29 on Star Plus.

/IANS