Temples in region draw massive crowd on Mahashivratri

Mahashivratri —a celebrations to mark the marriage of Lord Shiva with Goddess Parvati or Shiv-Shakti — was celebrated with religious fervour by devotees in the region on Wednesday. Most temples opened in the wee hours at around 4.30 am in the morning to welcome devotees in numbers.

The temples were tastefully decorated with fresh flowers and langar/prasad arrangement were made at many later in the day. Devotees had also set up stalls outside housing welfare societies, markets to distribute prasad among all.

“Shiv-vivah” was held at many religious places and devotees had specially booked their turns to be a part of the special celebrations. Yesterday, a shobha yatra was held in the interior parts of the city to celebrate the occasion.

Langars, rituals

mark celebrations

Mandi Ahmedgarh/ Payal/Raikot: Temple administrations had to make extra arrangements to accommodate a larger number of devotees early in the morning and in the evening as everyone a sea of devotees thronged temples in the region, wishing to pay obeisance and perform puja.

Groups of devotees marched towards Pohir, Rohira, Dehlon, Ranikey, Chehlan, Samashpur, Kanganwal and Barundi villages, besides Ahmedgarh, Raikot and Payal towns to pay obeisance at renowned Mahadev mandirs.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s wife Gurpreet Kaur paid a special visit to the Prachin Mahadev Mandir at Payal which is known for its historic background related to the Mahabharat. Aam Aadmi Party activists, led by Payal legislator Manwinder Singh Giaspura, accompanied Gurpreet.

Amargarh legislator Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra and president of Municipal Council Vikas Krishan Sharma visited almost all the temples in the region to seek blessings of Lord Shiva.

A special gallery, installed by the Brahma Kumaris Ashram at Ahmedgarh Grain Market remained the centre of attraction for devotees of Shiva, besides followers of the Brahma Kumaris sect as the organisers had installed stalls illustrating the twelve Jyotirlingas of the Hindu sect.

The administration remained on its toes, managing vehicular traffic on roads at almost all towns as a large number of religious and social organisations had set up stalls to serve langars.