PEDDAPALLI/WARANGAL/SANGAREDDY: Maha Shivaratri was marked by an overwhelming surge of devotion across Telangana, with major temples in Vemulawada, Sangareddy and the erstwhile Warangal district witnessing massive gatherings from the early hours of Sunday.
At Vemulawada, Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy temple and the associated Bheemeswara Swamy shrine witnessed a heavy influx of devotees as the three-day Maha Shivaratri Jatara continued with fervour. Nearly one lakh pilgrims had darshan at the Bheemeswara shrine by Sunday evening, with the total footfall expected to cross two lakh by the close of the festival, temple authorities said. Devotees gathered for the midnight Lingodbhava pooja, while priests performed the Maha Lingarchana amid Vedic chants.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar offered special pujas and presented silk clothes to the deity on behalf of the state government.
In Sangareddy, the Edupayala Vana Durga Bhavani temple turned into a sea of devotees, with queues winding around hillocks and trees as pilgrims waited for darshan. TGSRTC operated special buses to facilitate devotees travelling to the shrine.
In the erstwhile Warangal district, hundreds of devotees thronged prominent temples, including the Thousand Pillar Temple, Ramappa Temple in Mulugu district, Mukteswara Temple at Kaleshwaram in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, Someshwara Swamy Temple in Palakurthy of Jangaon district, and Veerabhadraswamy Temple in Kuravi.
Devotees formed long, serpentine queues for darshan and performed special poojas. The Thousand Pillar Temple and Mukteswara temple were adorned with floral decorations.
Cultural programmes were organised for those observing fast and keeping night-long vigil.
At the Kaleshwaram Mukteeshwara temple, arrangements were put in place to ensure smooth darshan for devotees. Indus Foundation organised a spiritual and cultural event at Hayagreeva Chary grounds, where speakers highlighted Warangal’s rich heritage and recalled the nearly 400-year rule of the Kakatiya dynasty that shaped the region’s cultural legacy.