Nagpur: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis joined thousands of devotees at Mankapur on Sunday, getting his hands into the sacred soil and crafting Parthiv Shivlings as part of a month-long initiative that has set an ambitious target of making 91 lakh earthen Shivlings.Fadnavis visited the Shiva Mandir at Mankapur, where the Lotus Cultural and Sporting Association is holding the third edition of the mass Parthiv Shivling-making event. Amid chanting of mantras, he first offered prayers before joining devotees and shaping three Shivlings himself.Speaking after participating in the ritual, Fadnavis said the involvement of people across age groups had added to the spiritual atmosphere during the holy month of Shravan.Organisers said soil brought from the banks of Ganga is being used to make Parthiv Shivlings, which are immersed every day after sunset. Former mayor Dayashankar Tiwari said the month-long event will culminate on Sept 12 with a yajna followed by Mahaprasad.Anil Bawangade, Amol Kolhe, Ashish Pali, Naveen Jain and Prabhakar Thakre, along with other members of the organising committee, were present during the chief minister’s visit.
