Maha Sivaratri celebrated with fervour in Visakhapatnam

A large number of devotees throng temples from the early hours

Maha Sivaratri was celebrated with traditional devotion and fervour here on Saturday.

Siva temples at MVP Colony, Kailasagiri, Arilova, Allipuram, Madhurawada, PM Palem, Gajuwaka, Akkayyapalem and many other areas reverberated with the chants of ‘Om Namah Sivaya.’ The temples witnessed long queue lines with devotees, who offered special prayers and performed ‘abhishekams’ from the early hours.

Like every year, Maha Sivaratri festival was grandly organised at R.K Beach by former MP T. Subbarami Reddy Seva Peetham, where thousands of devotees attended. A large Siva Lingam said to be made up of over one crore small Siva Lingams was installed. Special prayers and bhajans were organised in a set erected near the Siva Lingam, which was followed by cultural programmes from the evening. The programmes will be held till the morning to engage the devotees who have taken up fasting as part of the festival. People took photographs and selfies and uploaded them on social media.

The city police made elaborate arrangements for the smooth flow of traffic.

Special prayers were offered to Goddess Durga at Sri Durgalamma Temple as part of annual jatara, which is being organised generally on the day of Maha Sivaratri.

Meanwhile, thousands of devotees from in and around the district thronged the renowned Siva temple at Matsyagundam in Alluri Sitarama Raju district from early hours and offered special prayers.