City Marks Mahasivaratri with Fervour
Mahasivaratri drew thousands of devotees across the city on Sunday. Major Siva temples resonated with Vedic hymns, special abhishekams, and continuous chanting from the early hours.
The 41st Maha Kumbhabhishekam at RK Beach became the centrepiece of the celebrations. Beach Road took on a festive look as streams of devotees gathered for the Kotilingalu ceremony. Priests led rituals while chants filled the air.
Former Union Minister T. Subbarami Reddy supervised the ceremonies. The rituals included abhishekam to one crore Siva Lingas. Organisers used holy water collected from sacred rivers across the country. The offering symbolised unity and devotion.
Despite tight security for the International Fleet Review, devotees turned out in large numbers. An estimated two lakh people visited the beach. Many took the customary holy dip before attending the evening congregation.
The district administration and police coordinated crowd management. Authorities deployed nearly 8,000 personnel at the venue. Teams used drone surveillance and crowd-control systems to regulate movement. Festival attendees and naval visitors converged at the beach.
Meanwhile, the Brahma Kumaris organised spiritual programmes in Murali Nagar. B. K. Aparanji said participation peaked over the weekend. The events began on Friday with an exhibition of the Dvadasa Jyotirlingas. The display represented the twelve revered shrines of Lord Siva. Devotees visited the installations daily between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Mahasivaratri concluded on a note of devotion, discipline, and collective celebration across the city.