Jamshedpur: All three districts of the Kolhan division soaked in religious fervour on Sunday as devotees observed Maha Shivratri with religious pomp and gaiety. The faithful thronged the decked-up Shiva temples from the early hours to offer special prayers to the Lord and seek divine blessings for good health and prosperity.Amid the chanting of Om Namah Shivay and Har Har Mahadev, priests performed rudrabhishekam in accordance with the Vedic scriptures, while sacred bells kept ringing.The devotees offered curd, ghee, Gangajal (Ganga water), water, sandal paste, and panchamrit to the lingam, while camphor and incense sticks were lit in devotion. The Mahadevsal temple in Chakradharpur sub-division of West Singhbhum district experienced a large turnout of festive enthusiasts.“This shrine is called Chota Baidyanath dham of the state, and it draws a large crowd on Shivratri. Devotees from far-off places in the district and adjoining Odisha come to offer prayers,” said temple committee member Sanjay Singh.The Jayda Shiv temple in Chandil in the adjoining Seraikela-Kharsawan district evoked a strong turnout. Devotees from different parts of Jamshedpur and Seraikela town visited the temple to offer prayers.In East Singhbhum, Chitreswardham temple in Baharagora, Siddheshwar temple in Jaduguda, Pardih Kali mandir (NH-33), besides Dalma Shiv temple, Bhuvaneswari temple, Telco, Maa Sheetla temple, Sakchi, and Rankini temple in Kadma witnessed a packed house.The Andhra Bhakt Shree Ram Mandiram, Bistupur, organised Ajhyabhishekam of Lord Venkateswara on the auspicious day.“The Ajhyabhishekam is a sacred ritual conducted for freedom from all kinds of diseases and to attain good health. For the first time, we organised this ritual in the 100-year history of the temple,” said temple committee general secretary Jammi Bhaskar.Further, Maha aarti, which was organised by a social outfit at the banks of the Domuhani river in the evening, saw a large congregation of enthusiasts.Meanwhile, the district police made adequate security arrangements at the temples and on the roads leading to the prominent temples to ensure the safety of the crowd.
