By Team Mangalorean
Photographs: Rajesh Shetty

Mangalore March 3, 2008: Mangaloreans are gearing up to celebrate Maha Shivaratri and seek blessings from Shiva who is also known as the destroyer of evil.  Shivaratri is a night of worship for Lord Shiva, one of the Hindu Trinity and it is being observed and celebrated with traditional gaiety and splendour at one of the most important temples in Mangalore city, Kudroli Gokarnath Temple.

Shivaratri is being celebrated by Hindus across the country with each community having an unique tradition. The cultural diversity of different communities marks the celebrations with different styles. While some devotees observe this day with great significance and abstain from food and sleep, while chanting the name of Lord Shiva, it is also an auspicious occasion for women to pray for the birth of a child as Lord Shiva is considered as the symbol of fertility and young girls pray to Lord Shiva for the perfect groom.

Gokarnanatheshwara temple here in the city, where Lord Shiva  is being worshipped as a main deity is already sporting a festive look with entire temple precinct being lit up with multi coloured lights. The local populace and the devotees have started pouring in large numbers to offer their obeisance to Lord Shiva. Various cultural programmes also have been arranged as part of the celebrations.

Special pujas including Lokakalyanartha pooja, Siyalabhisheka and other religious programmes are being arranged on March 6, 2008. Overwhelming devotion could be seen with thousands of devotees being visiting this temple since early morning on this day and offer poojas to the Lingam which will be washed and smeared with milk, curd, honey etc. Devotees will observe Jagaran where the lingam will be worshipped throughout the night with bhajans  and chanting of the mantra "Om Namah Shivaya".