Bhubaneswar, Feb 15 (IANS) Lakhs of devotees gathered at Shiva temples across Odisha to have the darshan of Lord Shiva and witness the sacred late-night ritual of raising the Mahadeep (great lamp) atop temple structures on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri on Sunday.

Prominent Shiva temples in the state, including the 11th-century Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar, Loknath Temple in Puri, Chandrashekhar Temple at Kapilash in Dhenkanal, and the Dhabaleswar Temple at Athagarh in Cuttack district, witnessed a huge rush of devotees from early morning.

The number of devotees gradually increased as the day progressed, with thousands assembling to witness the sacred late-night ritual of raising the Mahadeep atop temple summits and lighting earthen lamps as part of the traditional observances associated with Maha Shivaratri.

The temples, decorated with flowers and illuminated with thousands of earthen lamps lit by devotees, presented a spiritually vibrant atmosphere across the state.

Devotees, immersed in religious fervour, were seen chanting the holy names of Lord Shiva and participating in prayers and rituals throughout the day and late into the night at various temple premises.

Temple authorities made extensive arrangements to manage the heavy rush of devotees and ensure smooth and orderly darshan for visitors arriving from different parts of the state and neighbouring regions.

Elaborate security arrangements were put in place at major temples across Odisha to ensure smooth and hassle-free darshan and to maintain law and order during the large-scale religious gatherings.

At the Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar, officials released the schedule for the traditional Mahadeepa ceremony, which is considered the central highlight of Maha Shivaratri celebrations.

The revered Mahadeep was scheduled to be raised and positioned on the temple’s summit at around 10 p.m., drawing large crowds of devotees eager to witness the spiritually significant ritual.

Keeping in view the Maha Shivaratri festivities, the Commissionerate Police had earlier announced restrictions on the use of drones in the vicinity of the Lingaraj Temple as part of enhanced security and crowd management measures.

Meanwhile, sacred rituals at the Chandrashekhar Temple at Kapilash in Dhenkanal district and the Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar were briefly delayed during Maha Shivaratri after a section of temple servitors expressed displeasure over alleged police excesses.

However, the situation was brought under control and normalcy restored following discussions between temple authorities, servitors, and local administration officials, allowing the rituals to resume smoothly.

–IANS

gyan/pgh