Ritika
Youth in Rudra form of Mahadev
Photo: Nitin Gupta
Expansion
Maha Shivaratri festival was celebrated with great devotion and pomp in Aligarh. People engrossed in devotion to Shiva were seen chanting Har Har Mahadev and Om Namah Shivay. Due to this the atmosphere remained Shivamaya. Crowds of people thronged the pagodas since morning for Jalabhishek. There were long queues of devotees for darshan. After anointing the Shivling with Jalabhishek and milk, he worshiped and offered Bhog Prasad. Devotees offer Gangajal, milk, flowers, belpatra, dhatura, honey, perfume, hemp and Akshat on Shivling and offer prayers.
Stores were organized at different places. Along with decorating flower bungalows in the temples, Rudrabhishek, Bhajan-Kirtan and Maha Aarti were organized in the evening. Devotees queued up at the Achaleshwar Mahadev Temple located at Shri Khershwardham Temple, Ramlila Maidan since morning and after performing Jalabhishek and milk abhishek on the Shivling, offered prayers and offerings. The temple resounded with the praises of Lord Bholenath. In the Mangleshwar Mahadev temple located in Jaiganj, there was an influx of devotees since morning. Devotees offered water and milk after seeing Lord Bholenath. Women did bhajan-kirtan here
The devotees had decorated the temple in a very beautiful way. Here long queues of Shiva devotees continued to have darshan of the Shiva family. He worshiped Bholenath with devotion and anointed Baba by offering milk and Ganges water. On the other hand, the newlyweds reached the temples and offered poison to Bholenath with pomp. On Mahashivratri across the district, many religious events including processions and tableaux, Bhandara were held along with the organization of Shiva marriage at various places. In which the devotees participated enthusiastically.
