New Delhi — The festival of Mahashivratri was observed with deep devotion and spiritual enthusiasm across the nation, as lakhs of devotees gathered at major Shiva temples from early Sunday morning.
Large crowds, extended queues, special religious ceremonies, overnight prayers, and ritual holy dips highlighted the sacred occasion. Authorities implemented extensive security and administrative measures to ensure smooth darshan and effective crowd management at key pilgrimage destinations.
In Jharkhand, thousands of devotees visited the revered Baba Baidyanath Dham, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, to offer prayers at the Baba Baidyanath Jyotirlinga Temple. Devotees were seen standing in long queues since early morning to seek blessings. A priest stated that the festival commemorates the divine wedding of Baba Baidyanath and Goddess Parvati, adding that the grand night procession at Baidyanath Dham attracts lakhs of worshippers annually.
In Maharashtra, devotees assembled at the historic Aundha Nagnath Temple to offer prayers to Lord Nageshwar and participate in special rituals conducted for the festival.
Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh, massive crowds gathered at the Sangam Ghats in Prayagraj for the final bathing day of the Magh Mela, which coincided with Mahashivratri. According to officials, nearly 10 lakh devotees took the holy dip overnight.
Devotees also thronged the sacred Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi for darshan. One devotee shared that they arrived at midnight and received darshan between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m. Officials confirmed that crowd control measures, including barricading along the ghats and monitoring from boats, were implemented to maintain order and facilitate smooth movement of pilgrims.
In Madhya Pradesh, the sacred Bhasma Aarti was performed at the renowned Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain amid traditional chants and rituals. Priests highlighted that celebrations of Shiv Navratri and Mahashivratri were conducted with great religious fervour.
At Raisen Fort, administrative officials supervised the opening of Someshwar and Mahadev temples at 6 a.m. to ensure orderly darshan and prevent inconvenience to devotees.
In Rajasthan, a large number of worshippers visited the Saipau Mahadev Temple to offer prayers on the auspicious occasion.
Mahashivratri, one of the most important Hindu festivals, is celebrated to honour Lord Shiva and commemorate the divine union of Shiva and Parvati. Across the country, the festival was marked by devotion, spiritual zeal, and well-coordinated security arrangements as devotees observed the sacred day with reverence.
With inputs from IANS