PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Mahashivratri festival was celebrated with religious fervour at various temples across the State on Sunday. Many devotees were observed standing in long queues at the temples in Dehradun to offer prayers to Lord Shiva. The famous Tapekshwar Mahadev temple in the city also saw a significant number of devotees, with individuals beginning to gather at the temple from Saturday midnight.
Priest Mahendra Naithani said that the crowd of devotees eager to offer prayers to Lord Shiva began to gather early in the morning. Devotees performed the Abhishek ritual on the Shivling with milk, curd, water and other offerings. Many devotees also brought Prasad, including Kheer, to distribute among visitors at the temples.
On this day, numerous temples in the city were decorated with flowers and various decorative items. Additionally, Bhajan Kirtan was conducted at many temples throughout the day.
A devotee, Shikha Dimri said that she visited the temple early in the morning and observed a fast. She added that, in collaboration with her community, she distributed Prasad of Kheer among residents, commuters and others passing by.
“Every year, I wake up early on Shivratri to visit the temple and offer prayers. I followed the same routine this year and also visited many other temples in the city to pray to Lord Shiva,” said another devotee, Ashish Chaturvedi.
