People in Odisha celebrated Maha Shivaratri with great religious fervor. All Shiv Temples across the state witnessed long queues since the wee hours of Tuesday. The crowds went bigger and queues got longer as the day progressed. Many people observed fast the worshiped the Lord Shiva with full devotion. They poured milk and water on the Shiva Linga to pay their respect.
Tight security arrangements were made at Lingaraj Temple to prevent any mishap during the festival. The temple was decorated with flowers and LED lights. A Bhajan Samaroh was organised in the evening with renowned singer Sadhana Sargam lending her voice on that occasion. Devotees were seen lighting the traditional diyas or deeps since morning. The Maha Shivaratri was also celebrated as ‘Jagara’.
Other leading Shaivite places in Odisha that witnessed the congregation of thousands of Shiva devotees across the state, included Dhabaleswar Temple (Athagarh), Gupteswar Temple (Near Jeypore), Chandrashekhar Temple (Kapilas, Dhenkanal), Nrusinghanath Temple (Bargarh) and Ladubaba Temple (Sarankul, Nayagarh).