Early Times Report
LUCKNOW, Feb 15: Devotees thronged Shiva temples across Uttar Pradesh on Sunday to offer prayers on the occasion of Mahashivratri. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also performed Rudraabhishek at Gorakhnath Temple to mark the festival that commemorates the marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. People from across India and abroad were seen queuing outside the Baba Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi after the morning Mangala Aarti. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Bhushan Mishra, said last year, approximately 12 lakh devotees offered prayers at the temple on Mahashivratri.
This year, the number is estimated to be between 10 lakh and 15 lakh, with arrangements made for easy darshan at the 5,00,000 square metre dham, Mishra said.
He further said that zig-zag barricades have been installed for crowd management, and devotees will be allowed to enter from six gates. Medical teams have been deployed at three locations in the dham, he added.
Mishra said that a help desk has been set up, which is continuously assisting the devotees.
In the morning, the temple administration showered flowers on the people queuing outside. The temple will be open to devotees for the next 45 hours continuously.
The temple CEO said that on Mahashivratri, Kashi Vishwanath Dham becomes a spiritual confluence not only for the country but the entire world.
Offerings have arrived for the dham from 62 major temples across the world, including from Malaysia and Sri Lanka. This year offerings were also brought from 54 major Jyotirlingas, Shaktipeeths and pilgrimage sites of the country.
In the Barabanki district, devotees in large numbers gathered at the famous pilgrimage site of Lodheshwar Mahadev. The fragrance of incense and chants of "Har Har Mahadev" filled the atmosphere with devotion.
Superintendent of Police Arpit Vijayvargiya said that since midnight, 2.5 lakh pilgrims and devotees have arrived at the temple.
In a post on X in Hindi, Adityanath said, "Today, on the auspicious occasion of Mahashivratri, illuminated by the welfare consciousness of restraint, meditation, and 'Shivatva' performed Rudrabhishek with proper rituals and prayed for the welfare of humanity at @GorakhnathMndr. Har Har Mahadev!" |
