Maha Shivaratri Celebrations in Hyderabad’s Shiva Temples
Hyderabad’s Shiva temples were filled with chants of ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ and ‘Har Har Mahadeva’ as thousands of devotees gathered to celebrate Maha Shivaratri on Wednesday. Worshippers started arriving early in the morning to offer prayers to Lord Shiva.
Many temples made special arrangements for the occasion. At Keesaragutta, a well-known hill shrine in Medchal-Malkajgiri district, a large number of devotees stood in long queues to seek blessings at the temple of Ramalingeswara Swamy. Temple officials reported that nearly 2 lakh devotees visited the temple, performing rituals and offering abhishekam to many Shiva lingams.
Similarly, the Dakshin ke Badrinath Temple in Medchal saw a huge crowd of worshippers. The Bhavani Temple in Kothapet continued its tradition of installing a Shiva lingam made from one lakh rudrakshas, attracting many devotees.
Throughout the day, religious activities such as bhajans were held, lasting until midnight as part of the Jagaran ritual, a common practice during Maha Shivaratri. Various puja committees organized these events to enhance the celebrations.
To maintain order, the police made special security arrangements at major temples and managed traffic on roads leading to these worship sites. Rachakonda Police Commissioner G Sudheer Babu personally oversaw the arrangements at the Keesara temple during the Brahmotsavam celebrations. In a notable incident, he provided first aid to a devotee who injured his leg and ensured the person was taken to the hospital by ambulance.
Security was also tightened by the Hyderabad and Cyberabad police forces, who were deployed at major temples to ensure a smooth celebration. However, some devotees at Keesaragutta Sri Ramalingeshwara Swamy temple expressed their dissatisfaction, claiming that the district administration favored VIP visitors over the general public, making darshan difficult for regular devotees.
Despite a few concerns, the Maha Shivaratri celebrations across Hyderabad were marked with devotion, enthusiasm, and grand religious ceremonies.
