Devotees Queue Up Outside the Lingaraj Temple On The Occasion Of Mahashivratri

Over four lakh worshippers gathered near the shrine to see the auspicious lamp (mahadeep) being taken to the top of the temple.

People started queuing up in front of the temple from midnight and waited till the gates were opened at 4am.

The temple gates were opened in the morning for sahanmela darshan, which continued till 11am.

The long hours of wait did not deter the spirit of worshippers. Most of the devotees observe fast and perform puja throughout the night during this festival.

The Lingaraj temple administration had made plans to carry out the rituals on time, so that the devotees would not face any problem. Everything has been conducted in a smooth way and we expect to light the mahadeep at 10pm.

Expecting a huge turnout, the temple administration and police had barricaded the area to streamline the movement of the crowd. We have taken care of everything. Managing the crowd properly is our priority, and we are doing our best to ensure their safety. Besides, closed-circuit television cameras have been installed to keep a watch on the movement of the crowd in and around the temple.

Other Shiv temples in the state such as Dhabaleswar in Athgarh, Akhandalmani at Aradi in Bhadrak, Sriloknath in Puri, Mukteswar in Ganjam, Gupteswar in Koraput and Kapileswar in Dhenkanal also saw a huge turnout. The local administrations took every step for smooth conduct of the rituals at the temples.

Shared By: Bhubaneswar