Siva temples reverberate with sounds of conches, bells

Visakhapatnam: Chanting slokas and appeasing the three-eyed Lord with devotional indulgence, a number of people made a beeline to Siva temples to offer prayers to Lord Siva on 'Maha Sivaratri' celebrated with religious fervour in Visakhapatnam.

On Saturday, devotees were seen carrying sachets of milk, bottles of honey and tender coconuts to the temples to appease Lord Shiva with a host of 'abhishekam.'

Siva temples in Visakhapatnam reverberated with conches and bells as abhishekam and pujas formed a part of the rituals performed marking the occasion.

Considered as the most auspicious festival of the Hindus, a sea of devotees participated in the rituals performed at various temples on the day. After staying awake throughout the night, many head to the sea to take a holy dip the next day of Sivaratri. Devotees also observe fasting on the occasion.

Special pujas marked at various temples and places, including Sri Someswara Swamy Aalayam at Appikonda, Sri Tripuranthaka Swamy Aalayam at Simhachalam, 'Koti Siva Lingams' set up by T Subbarami Reddy Lalitha Kala Parishath at RK Beach along with temples at Nakkavanipalem, Kancharapalem, Narava, Sankaramatam Road, among a host of others. Led by seer Jagadguru Sankaracharya Sri Shankara Vijayendra Saraswathi of Kanchi Kama Koti Peetham, Shivaratri puja was performed at Sankaramatam yagasala. YSRCP Regional Coordinator and TTD Chairman YV Subba Reddy, NREDCAP chairman KK Raju, chairman of AP Brahmin Welfare Corporation Seethamraju Sudhakar offered prayers at the peetham.