In Pics: India celebrates colourful Maha Shivaratri

Temples across the country wore a colourful look on Sunday. Decorated for the occasion of Maha Shivaratri, they opened the doors to devotees by 3 am. Thousands of devotees queued up for a darshan of Lord Shiva.

Maha Shivaratri literally means the night of Shiva and is celebrated every year on the 13th night/14th day of the Maagha month of the Hindu calendar.

Reliance ADAG Chairman Anil Ambani was spotted in Ujjain on Sunday. Foreign tourists were also part of the festivities.

Sunday was also the last day of the Kumbh Mela. Many devotees took a dip in the Sangam on the occasion of Mahashivratri.

Devootes line up

Devotees worshiping Lord Shiva on the occasion of Maha Shivratri in Kota on Sunday.

Chanting prayers

Priests worship at Lord Mahakal temple on the occasion of Maha Shivratri festival in Ujjain on Sunday.

Anil Ambani at Ujjain

Reliance ADAG Chairman Anil Ambani (L) worships Lord Mahakal on the occasion of Maha Shivratri festival in Ujjain on sunday.

Lord Shiva Barat

Artists dressed in ghost attire perform during Lord Shiva barat taken out on the occasion of Mahashivratri in Mathura on Sunday.

Seeking blessings

Railways Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal worships at Vindhvasani Temple on the occasion of Maha Shivratry festival in Vindhyachal, Mirzapur on Sunday.

Rituals

Devotees worshiping Lord Shiva on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri festival at a temple in Allahabad on Sunday.

Queuing up

Devotees stand in queue to worship Lord Shiva on the ocassion of Maha Shivaratri festival at the Shiva temples of Dakhhineswar Temple in Kolkata on Sunday.

Foreigners strike a pose

Foreign tourists pose for a photograph with a Child dressed as lord Shiva in Pushkar, Rajasthan on the occasion of Shiv Ratri on Sunday.

Tallest Shiva statue unveiled

Highest statue of Lord Shiva in the World, towering 20 metres above the ground, being unveiled in Johannesburg on Saturday.

Devotees wait for darshan

Devotees stand in a queue for darshan at Lord Lingaraj temple on the occasion of Maha Shivratri in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.

Holy dip in Ganga

A sadhu taking holy dip in Ganga on the occasion of Maha Shivratri festival, last day of Kumbh mela at Sangam in Allahabad on Sunday.

Rituals

Devotees perform abhishek of Lord Shiva on the occasion of Maha Shivratri festival at a temple in Gurgaon on Sunday.

Procession

Naga Shadhus take out a procession on the occasion of Maha Shivratri festival in Varanasi on Sunday.

Anil Ambani at Lord Mahakal temple

Reliance ADAG Chairman Anil Ambani (L) worships at Lord Mahakal temple on the occasion of Maha Shivratri festival in Ujjain on Sunday.