Kullu (Himachal Pradesh) [India], March 8 : Devotees across the nation celebrated Maha Shivratri with full fervour.
The festival, also known as 'the great night of Shiva', celebrates the overcoming of darkness and ignorance. It also celebrates the grand marriage of Lord Shiva with the goddess of fertility, love, and beauty Parvati, who is also known as Shakti (power). According to Hindu mythology, on the night of the marriage, Lord Shiva had a very diverse group of acquaintances including Hindu gods, goddesses, animals, and demons escorting him to the house of the goddess.
The duo of Shiv and Shakti is considered to be the epitome of love, power, and togetherness. The festival marking the initiation of their bond - 'Maha Shivratri' - is celebrated with great fervour across India.
Devotees believe it is the perfect time to purify their body, mind and soul and for fresh beginnings. They worship Lord Shiva, pray for his blessings, visit temples, and observe a day-long nirjala vrat.
Devotees in Kullu celebrated the festival wholeheartedly. They sang bhajans and even danced together. Here are some visuals from Kullu.
Chants of 'Har Har Mahadev' also reverberated on streets of Varanasi. People also took part in religious processions on the eve of Mahashivratri.
Bollywood celebrities also celebrated Maha Shivratri in a grand way.
On the auspicious occasion of Mahashivratri, actor Sidharth Malhotra sought blessings at the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi. He also offered prayers at the Kaal Bhairav temple.
Actor Ayushmann Khurrana celebrated Maha Shivratri in a special way. He sang a rendition of the Shiv Kailash hymn, something his father had longed to hear from him.
His father P Khurrana passed away on May 19, 2023.
Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Anil Kapoor, and others extended heartfelt wishes to fans.
Amitabh Bachchan shared a post on X and wrote, "MahaShivratri greetings."
"There's not been a moment in my life when this stotra hasn't given me strength when I needed it, Har Har Mahadev," actor Ajay Devgn wrote on X.
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