Mahashivratri 2024: Lakhs of Devotees Throng Shiva Temples Nationwide

Long queues, special rituals, night-long prayers and holy dips marked the auspicious occasion, with elaborate security and administrative arrangements put in place to ensure smooth darshan and crowd management at major pilgrimage sites.

In Jharkhand, devotees thronged the revered Baba Baidyanath Dham, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, to offer prayers at the Baba Baidyanath Jyotirlinga Temple.

Since early morning, long queues of worshippers were seen waiting patiently for darshan.

"Today marks the sacred day of Mahashivratri, which coincides with the 13th day of Chaturdashi. Devotees celebrate the auspicious wedding of Baba Baidyanath and Mata Parvati," a priest told IANS, adding that a grand night procession at Baidyanath Dham attracts lakhs of devotees every year.

In Maharashtra, devotees gathered at the historic Aundha Nagnath Temple to seek darshan of Lord Nageshwar and participate in special rituals performed on the auspicious occasion.

Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh, large crowds assembled at the Sangam ghats in Prayagraj for the final bathing day of the Magh Mela, which coincided with Mahashivratri. Magh Mela Officer Rishi Raj stated that nearly 10 lakh devotees had taken the holy dip since last night.

Devotees also flocked to the sacred Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi for Baba Vishwanath's darshan. One devotee said, "We had arrived at midnight and received darshan between 4:30 and 5:00 A.M."

DCP Gaurav Banswal said, "Lakhs of devotees have arrived, and arrangements have been made to facilitate their darshan. Due to the large crowd, queues have been organised to ensure orderly darshan. Barricades have been set up along the ghats, and supervision is being carried out from boats."

Officials ensured elaborate arrangements to manage the massive turnout. SDM Shambhu Sharan said, "There is great enthusiasm among the people of Kashi for the festival. Since early morning, devotees have been standing in long queues at the courtyard of Baba Vishwanath to offer their prayers and seek darshan."

In Madhya Pradesh, the sacred Bhasma Aarti was performed at the renowned Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain amid chants and rituals.

A priest said, "In the courtyard of Baba Mahakal, the celebrations of Shiv Navratri and Mahashivratri is being celebrated with great devotion..."

At Raisen Fort, Tehsildar Bharat Mandare informed that the gates of Someshwar and Mahadev temples were opened at 6 A.M. under administrative supervision to facilitate smooth darshan.

"On the auspicious occasion of Mahashivratri, the gates of Someshwar and Mahadev at the Raisen Fort were opened at around 6 A.M. under the supervision of the administration. The administration has made extensive arrangements to ensure smooth proceedings and to prevent any inconvenience to the devotees," he said.

In Rajasthan, a large number of devotees visited the Saipau Mahadev Temple to offer prayers.

Mahashivaratri, one of the most significant Hindu festivals, is marked to honour the deity Shiva, commemorate the divine union of Shiva and Parvati.

Across states, the festival was marked by devotion, elaborate security arrangements and spiritual enthusiasm as devotees celebrated the sacred occasion of Mahashivratri.

- IANS