Religious fervour marks Mahasivaratri

A Religious fervour marked Mahasivaratri celebrations at Srisailam, one of the 12 Jyothirlingas, on Sunday. Over three lakh pilgrims offered prayers to Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy and his consort Bhramarambika. Devotees started to flock the temple from the morning, they stood in long serpentine queues from the main entrance of the temple and had the Lord's darshan. Devotees believe that visiting and spending the night at the shrine on Srigiri hillock on this auspicious day would ensure good health and prosperity for their families.The temple streets and bathing ghats at Pathalaganga reverberated with chants of 'Om Namah Sivaya'. Pilgrims from Karnataka and different parts of the State trekked the hillock and had darshan of the Lord. Vedic priests conducted pagalankarana, prabhotsavam, lingodbhavam and kalyanotsavam to the deities in the evening. While priests were conducting pagalankarana (wrapping turbans to the 9 bulls in the temple) power supply was suspended for a while as per ritual. Devotees with gaiety took part in the celestial wedding of Lord Mallikarjuna and Bhramarambika. As part of the ongoing annual Brahmotsavams, bejeweled Lord and his consort were taken on Nandi Vahanam in a grand procession. Vedic priests placed the deities on the carrier at Dakshina Dwaram as per rituals. Thousands of Siva Deeksha devotees reached the temple on foot and presented their Irumudis to the Lord after having darshan. Meanwhile, Minister for Law and Courts Erasu Pratap Reddy and Director General of Police V Dinesh Reddy along with their families visited the temple and had darshan.Earlier, TTD Executive Officer LV Subrahmanyam presented silk robes to the deity on behalf of the government. Though the authorities made elaborate arrangements at the bathing ghats and the temple in view of heavy rush, devotees faced hardships to get accommodation and drinking water. Some devotees spent night under trees and makeshift tents as the lodges and hotels were overcrowded.