Devotees throng temples to offer prayer on Shivaratri

Bhubaneswar, Feb 16 (UNI) Devotees were seen lined up for hours early this morning before Loknath temple in Puri, Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar, Chandrasekhar temple in Kapilas and Gupteswar temple in Koraput to offer special prayers on the occasion of Mahasivaratri.

A report from Koraput said over a lakh devotees from Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh converged at the Pataliganga river, took holy dip and visited the Gupteswar temple to have darshan of the eight feet long lingam situated over 1000 meter above the sea level.

It was a big festival for the Durua, Parja, Bhumiya, Bhotra and Gadva tribals who were seen in large numbers in colourful attires at Gupteswar to perform special rituals before the Lord Shiva describing him as the principal god of Ramgiri forests.

The district administration made elaborate arrangements and organised a three day cultural festival to attract more visitors to the unique religious spot of the state.

Large number of devotees were seen in long queues in the temple city of Bhubaneswar to have a darshan of 12th century Lingam at the famous Lingaraj temple to perform special puja on the occasion.

Several Shiva temples in the city were also witnessed large crowd of devotees early morning.

Devotees also thronged the famous Loknath Temple in the pilgrim city of Puri after a ritual bath in the Mahododdhi to offer prayers.

The scene at Kapilas was more or less like a big mela as lakhs of devotees from various parts of the state converged at the hill top of Kapilas to offer prayer to Lord Shiva.

Devotees are expected to congregate in large number in the evening at Jagannath Temple in Puri and the Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar to witness the ''Maha deep'' ritual in the night.

Elaborate security arrangements had been made in Jagannath Temple and the Lingaraj temple to enable the devotees have a smooth darshan of the deity.

UNI