SHIV TEMPLES ECHOED WITH CHANTS OF ‘HAR HAR MAHADEV

SHIV TEMPLES ECHOED WITH CHANTS OF ‘HAR HAR MAHADEV

16-FEB-ENG 3

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-------------------------The festival of Maha Shivratri was celebrated with great enthusiasm in the Piro subdivision. Crowds of devotees thronged the local Shiva temples to offer water to Lord Shiva, the Supreme God. Long queues of devotees formed at the temples from early Sunday morning, resonating with chants of "Bol Bam" and "Har Har Mahadev." Devotees from far and wide arrived at the Shiva temple located at the ancient and historic Bahri Mahadev Dham, adjacent to the Piro subdivision headquarters, to perform the ritual. The crowd was so immense that there wasn't even enough space for a sesame seed. Large numbers of devotees were seen queuing, carrying bel leaves, flowers, and water pots. The queue stretched for over a kilometer, mostly composed of women. Due to the long queues, devotees had to wait for hours to perform the ritual, but their patience was remarkable. Despite standing in queues for hours, enthusiasm was evident on their faces. In view of the large crowds, the temple management committee and local administration had made elaborate arrangements for peace and security. City Council Chairperson Kiran Upadhyay personally monitored the arrangements. According to temple management committee members, the crowds this time broke previous records. Meanwhile, long queues of devotees were seen at other Shiva temples in Piro town, including the Thaneshwar Mahadev Temple, Harihar Dham Shiva Temple, Mahavir Chowk Shiva Temple, Jwala Market Shiva Temple, Piro Village Shiva Temple, and the Shiva Temple at Dusadihbadhar Mod. On this occasion, Shiva processions were held at several locations in the subdivision, where processions were carried out with music, drums, and cymbals. People participated enthusiastically.