Mahashivratri Celebrations: Huge Crowds Gather at Shiva Temples in Haridwar and Uttarkashi
Grand Celebrations of Mahashivratri: Devotees Gather at Shiva Temples Across Cities The festival of Mahashivratri is being celebrated with great enthusiasm across the country. Since last night, devotees have been flocking to Shiva temples in large numbers. From Haridwar and Rishikesh to Dehradun and Uttarkashi, the excitement among Shiva devotees is palpable. At the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Uttarkashi, despite the rain, long queues formed overnight as devotees eagerly waited to offer water to Lord Shiva. During the day, devotees enthusiastically participated in the grand Shiva procession. In Haridwar, lakhs of devotees are performing jalabhishek (ritual water offering) at various Shiva temples. The Kanwar Mela, which had been ongoing for several days, also concluded today. Thousands of Kanwariyas (devotees carrying sacred Ganga water) have collected water from the Ganges in Haridwar and are now heading back to their hometowns to offer it at Shiva temples. Many pilgrims mentioned that they were unable to visit Prayagraj for the special Shivratri bath, so they chose to take a holy dip in the Ganges at Haridwar instead.
In Haridwar, devotees gathered at well-known Shiva temples such as Bilvkeshwar Mahadev, Daksha Prajapati Temple, Gauri Shankar Temple, and Neeleshwar Temple to perform jalabhishek and seek blessings. It is believed that offering Ganga water to Lord Shiva fulfills all wishes. Many temples have also organized devotional singing (bhajan-kirtan) and community feasts (bhandaras), adding to the festive spirit. In Dehradun, the famous Tapkeshwar Mahadev Temple witnessed a surge of devotees since midnight, chanting “Jai Bhole!” as they stood in long queues for their turn to offer prayers. The Siddheshwar Mahadev Temple in Banjarawala also saw thousands of devotees arriving to seek blessings. Various fairs have been set up across cities for Shivratri, drawing large crowds eager to participate in the festivities. The devotion and energy of the devotees showcase their deep faith and love for Lord Shiva, making this Mahashivratri truly special.
