Devotees throng Shiva temples across Telangana

Hyderabad: Devotees queued up at Shiva temples across Telangana on Saturday on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri.

Men and women were seen offering special puja and participating in various rituals at popular Shaiva kshetras across the state. Temples were abuzz with activity since early morning as devotees had darshan and performed abhishekam.

Maha Shivaratri celebrations were organised on a grand scale at Sri Raja Rajeswara Temple at Vemulawada in Rajanna Sircilla district.

Endowment Minister Indrakaran Reddy offered ‘pattu vastralu’ or traditional robes to the deity. Offerings were also made on behalf of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD).

Devotees took holy bath in Godavari River near Manthani in Peddapalli district.

Maha Shivaratri celebrations were also held at Sri Ramalingeswara Swamy temple in Medchal Malkajgiri district. Labour Minister Malla Reddy along with his family members performed puja.

Panchayat Raj Minister Erraballi Dayakar Rao had darshan at Someswara Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Jangaon district. The minister and his wife performed a special puja.

Devotees thronged various Shiva temples in Nirmal, Mahabubabad, Warangal, Karimnagar and other districts.

The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) is operating as many as 2,427 special buses from various districts in Telangana and neighboring Andhra Pradesh on the occasion of Maha Shivratri.

TSRTC officials said the buses for the devotees are being operated to 40 Shaiva Kshetras located in various parts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

As many as 578 services will be operated to Srisailam, 481 to Vemulawada, 239 to Keesaragutta, 497 to Edupayala, 108 to Velala, 51 to Kaleshwaram, 52 to Komuravelli, 37 to Kondagattu, 16 to Alampur, 15 to Ramappa and 14 to Uma Maheshwaram.