Lucknow, Jul 9 (IANS): Special prayers are taking place in various temples in Uttar Pradesh ahead of the World Cup semi-final clash between India and New Zealand to be played at the Old Trafford in Manchester on Tuesday.

Anxious fans are performing ‘havan' in the Sankat Mochan Temple in Varanasi. Other temples in the holy city are also holding special recitations of the ‘Ramayana' and prayers are being held for the victory of the Men in Blue in the semifinals.

In Vindhyachal temple, a special puja, followed by ‘bhandara' (community feast), is being held by cricket fans to pray for victory of Virat Kohli's men. Posters of the members of the Indian team adorn the place where the community feast is to be held in the afternoon.

In Prayagraj, special prayers were offered on Tuesday morning to Lord Hanuman at his famous temple on the banks of river Ganga.

Temples in Lucknow, particularly Hanuman temples, have seen an unusual rush of young devotees since Tuesday morning. Tuesday, incidentally, is a special day for Hanuman devotees.