Lucknow/Varanasi (UP), February 15 Devotees flocked to Shiva temples across Uttar Pradesh on Sunday to offer prayers on the occasion of Mahashivaratri.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also performed 'Rudra Abhishek' at the Goraknath Temple to mark the festival, which 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.
The CEO of Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Bhushan Mishra, said that last year, approximately 12 lakh devotees offered prayers at the temple on Mahashivaratri.
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 Mahashivaratri, 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 Mahashivaratri, 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!"
Ashutosh Varshney, convenor of Ram Naam Bank, a Prayagraj-based spiritual organisation, said Maha Shivaratri is an annual festival, which is celebrated to worship Lord Shiva.
According to the Hindu calendar, the festival is observed during the Krishna Paksha of the lunar month of Phalgun.
Lucknow's Mankameshwar temple also witnessed a steady flow of devotees since early morning on Sunday.
Mankameshwar temple Mahant Divyagiri told PTI that 'falaahaar' (fruit meal) arrangements have been made for the devotees visiting the temple.
She added that some devotees had started queuing up outside the temple since Saturday night.
Devotees in Mathura lined up at Shiva temples, chanting Om Namah Shivaay since early morning. A long queue was seen since early morning at the ancient Bhuteshwar Mahadev Temple.
Offerings of milk, bel patra, flowers and prasad were made to Lord Shiva, said Jitendra Goswami, a sewayat at the Bhuteshwar temple.
Mahashivaratri is also being celebrated at other prominent temples like Rangeshwar Mahadev, Chintaharan Mahadev and Gopeshwar Mahadev temple in Vrindavan.