PURI/ROURKELA/JEYPORE: Thousands of devotees thronged temples across the state on Maha Shivaratri on Saturday.In Puri, a large number of devotees thronged Sri Loknath temple, Balikapileswar, Beleswar, Jodaling, Bhabakundaleswar and other shrines. As per tradition devotees remain in the temple lighting earthen lamps on its compound and stay awake all through the night.
The devotees most of whom fast on the day, wait for the ‘Mahadeepa’ to be raised atop the temple following which prasad is distributed by the priests. Earlier on the day, ‘Pankujhala Ekadasi’, a ritual before ‘Jagar Yatra’ was conducted at Sri Loknath temple. As part of the ritual, the priests of the shrine drained the water from the sanctum sanctorum so that devotees could have darshan of the ‘Shiva Lingam’.
The ‘Shiva Lingam’ remains inundated under around one metre deep water across the year and can be viewed only on Maha Shivaratri. A huge earthen lamp measuring 8x6x2 feet filled with clarified butter was lit at Parbati Sagar, a holy pond adjacent to the temple. Sources said around four quintal clarified butter will be used to keep the lamp lit for three days as part of the festival’s ritual.
In Rourkela, over 50,000 devotees throned Vedvyas temple complex located along the confluence of Sankh and Koel rivers. Scores of devotees who fast on the day, sit atop Durgapur hill holding earthen lamps. The devotees break their fast after the ‘Mahadeepa’ is raised atop of the shrine at around midnight.
The 15-day Maha Shivaratri Mela, which entered 117th year on Saturday, also kicked off near Vedvyas temple complex amid elaborate security arrangements. The venue has been equipped with all basic facilities including drinking water, toilet, lighting, fire control, medical, rescue, relief, electronic surveillance, crowd and traffic management. To prevent any mishap, the bathing ghats along Brahmani river are manned by Odisha Disaster Response Force and fire brigade personnel.
In Koraput, over one lakh devotees from within Odisha and neigbouring Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh thronged the famous Gupteswar shrine, the caved lingam situated on a 1,000 feet high hill in Ramgiri forest. While it took over five hours to get a glimpse of the deity, the devotees rued the `300 fee for special darshan.