Mahashivratri 2025: Devotees throng temples across India
- Mahashivratri celebrated on February 27, 2025 with large gatherings at major temples.
- All-night vigils and special pujas were held at prominent shrines including Kashi Vishwanath and Somnath.
- Authorities made extensive arrangements for crowd management and security.
Mahashivratri, one of the holiest festivals in the Hindu calendar, drew millions of devotees to temples across India on Thursday. From the early hours of the morning, long queues formed outside major shrines as people sought to offer prayers and seek blessings on this auspicious day.
Massive turnout at major temples
At the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, devotees began lining up before dawn. The temple complex saw a continuous stream of worshippers throughout the day. Similar scenes played out at the Somnath temple in Gujarat, the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain, and the Ramanathaswamy temple in Rameswaram.
In the national capital, the Akshardham temple and the ISKCON temple reported large crowds. Many devotees observed a day-long fast and participated in special rituals conducted by temple priests.
Night-long vigil and special rituals
The festival is traditionally marked by a night-long vigil, or jagran, where devotees stay awake singing bhajans and chanting hymns in praise of Lord Shiva. Temples organised special pujas every three hours, corresponding to the four prahars of the night.
Ritual offerings of milk, honey, and bel leaves were made to the Shiva lingam. Many devotees also performed abhishekam, the ritual bathing of the idol, with water and sacred items.
Security and administrative arrangements
State governments and temple administrations made elaborate arrangements to manage the large crowds. Additional police forces were deployed at sensitive locations. Barricades and designated queue areas were set up to ensure orderly movement of devotees.
At several temples, authorities set up temporary medical camps and drinking water kiosks. Traffic diversions were put in place around major temple towns to ease congestion.
The festival is observed on the 13th night of the Hindu month of Phalguna, which falls in February or March. This year, the celebrations coincided with a Thursday, leading to an even larger turnout as many devotees took time off work.
Officials have not yet released final crowd figures, but early estimates suggest that several lakh devotees visited the major temples alone. The festival is expected to conclude with the final aarti at dawn on Friday.
As the night progresses, temples across the country will continue to reverberate with the chants of 'Om Namah Shivaya'. The focus now shifts to the smooth dispersal of the crowds once the festivities conclude.