Mahashivaratri Celebrations Illuminate Tricity with Spiritual Fervor
Chandigarh's Tricity region was immersed in devotion as residents celebrated Mahashivaratri with immense enthusiasm. Temples across the area saw massive crowds of devotees lining up to offer milk, water, jaggery, honey, and other sacred items. Prasad distribution, langar services, and bhajan programs continued from early morning until late at night, creating a vibrant atmosphere of faith and community.
Historic Saketri Temple Hosts Thousands of Devotees
One of the most significant gatherings occurred at the historic Saketri Temple, where thousands of devotees began queuing from the early hours to pray to Lord Shiva. Long lines formed outside the temple complex since midnight, with many patiently waiting their turn to perform abhishek. The premises were adorned beautifully with flowers and lights, enhancing the spiritual ambiance.
Several temporary shops were established outside the temple, selling puja items, milk, prasad, and bhang. Inside, arrangements were made for distributing milk, prasad, and langar to the devotees. K D Sharma, president of Saketri Temple, stated, "Starting from 9pm, there will be four kinds of puja for pran prathistha at the temple. There is tremendous excitement among devotees. We have made special arrangements for langar and decorated the entire complex."
He further shared that approximately 250 quintals of milk were ordered, with only about 40 quintals remaining by evening, expected to be consumed by night. Devotees started queuing at the temple around Saturday midnight, and the rush persisted throughout the day. Over 600 volunteers, along with police personnel, were deployed to manage security and control the crowd effectively.
Elaborate Arrangements at Shiv Shakti Mandir and Other Temples
At the Shiv Shakti Mandir, elaborate preparations were made to mark this auspicious occasion. Temple president Yadvinder Mehta explained, "Jal abhishek and Rudra abhishek started at 4:30am. Milk and other prasad langar went on throughout the day. There will be a bhajan sandhya tonight by singer Lucky Nayar."
Heavy footfall was also reported at the Gauri Shankar temple and gaushala. Vinod Kumar, vice-president of Gauri Shankar Seva Dal, mentioned that special arrangements were made to provide cow milk from the gaushala for devotees to offer to Lord Shiva. Devotees began arriving around 4am, and langar comprising milk, fruits, gajar halwa, jalebi, and bread pakoras was organized.
Other temples in Panchkula, Mohali, and Chandigarh similarly experienced large gatherings and hosted special religious programs all day. Chants of "Har Har Mahadev" resonated across temple premises, reflecting the deep faith and enthusiasm of devotees who united to celebrate Mahashivaratri with reverence and joy.
