The festival of Mahashivratri is being celebrated across the country today with deep devotion and spiritual fervour.

Considered one of the most sacred occasions for devotees of Lord Shiva, the day is marked by fasting, special prayers and night-long worship at temples. Thousands of devotees take holy dips at pilgrim sites, seeking blessings for peace and prosperity.

President Droupadi Murmu, Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended wishes to the citizens on the occasion of Mahashivratri.

The President, in her message prayed that the grace of Lord Shiva remain on all citizens and India continues to advance on the path of progress.

The Vice President, in a social media post, said, from Kashi to Rameswaram, the holy festival stands as a living symbol of the nation’s eternal and unbroken spiritual tradition.

Mr Radhakrishnan wished that the blessings of Mahadev and Goddess Parvati bring happiness, prosperity, and good health to the citizens.

The Prime Minister, in his message, expressed hope that all the citizens are blessed by Lord Shiva and the country sits enthroned at the peak of prosperity.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Home Minister Amit Shah also extended greetings to the people on the sacred occasion of Mahashivratri.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla called Mahashivratri a festival of faith, penance, and self-reflection. He highlighted that the festival reminds the people of Lord Shiva’s infinite compassion, sacrifice, restraint, and the power of resolve.

Mr Birla said, Lord Shiva teaches the people to maintain patience even in adverse circumstances, to have the courage to turn poison into nectar, and to remain steadfast on the path of truth.

Home Minister prayed that Lord Mahadev may bless every citizen with happiness, peace, and prosperity

Devotees are taking holy dips in various rivers and worshipping Lord Shiva in temples in Uttar Pradesh.

The administration has made elaborate arrangements for today’s snan at Sangam, which will also mark the end of Magh Mela.

Long queues of devotees can be seen at various Shiv temples across the state from early morning. Amid the prayers of Lord Shiva, people are taking a holy dip at Sangam, the confluence of the rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati in Prayagraj.

After the bath, devotees offer prayers at different temples of Lord Shiva. Special arrangements are in place at Shiv Temples, including the famous Mankameshwar, Someshwar and Nag Vasuki temples.

The ongoing annual Magh Mela at Sangam in Prayagraj will come to an end with the last official bathing of Maha Shivaratri today.

Meanwhile, devotees are expected to gather at famous Shiv temples across the state, including Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, Gola Gokarnnath in Kheeri, Lodheshwar Mahadev in Barabanki, Jharkhandi Mahadev, Munjeshwarnath and Mukteshwarnath in Gorakhpur, Baba Augharnath in Meerut, Nageshwarnath in Ayodhya and Bateshwar Mahadev in Agra.

On this occasion, processions of Shiv Barats will also be carried out in many cities. Administration has made elaborate arrangements for Kanwariyas also, who will offer Gangajal to Lord Mahadev.

In Madhya Pradesh, Ujjain has come alive on the auspicious occasion of Mahashivratri today as devotees throng the temples, filling the air with the sound of bells and chants of “Har Har Mahadev.” Faith and devotion have reached a peak in the holy city of Baba Mahakal, with thousands gathering to offer prayers.

In Maharashtra, devotees across the state are celebrating the holy occasion of Mahashivratri, flocking to temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. The chants of “Bam Bam Bole” resonate across the temples, reflecting the fervour and devotion of the devotees.

In Mumbai, long queues of people are being witnessed at the famous Babulnath Temple. In Ahilyanagar district, large crowds have gathered since midnight at various temples including Agasti, Siddheshwar, Dhokeshwar, Mallikarjun Ghotan, and Beleshwar.

Scenes of devotion are also visible in Akola district, where temples are adorned with decorations and lights. Rituals such as Abhishek, Rudra Paath, and poojas are being performed since early morning at temples, including the renowned Rajeshwar Temple in Akola city.

Meanwhile, the Aundha Nagnath Temple in Hingoli, revered as the eighth Jyotirlinga, and the ancient Panchmukhi Shiv Temple near Gondia are witnessing huge rush of people.

In Odisha, devotees in huge numbers have been visiting Lord Shiva temples across the state since early this morning to mark the sacred ‘MahaShivratri’ festival. Long queues are being seen outside major shrines as people gather to offer prayers and seek blessings of Lord Shiva.

The turnout is particularly heavy at the famous Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar, where the ceremonial ‘Mahadeepa’ is scheduled to be raised at 10 tonight. In Cuttack, the Dhabaleswar Temple will witness the ‘Mahadeepa’ ceremony at 1 am later tonight.

Heavy footfall is also being reported at Akhandalamani Temple in Bhadrak, Kapilash Temple in Dhenkanal, Ladu Baba Temple in Nayagarh and Lokanath Temple in Puri district of Odisha.

Temple authorities have made elaborate arrangements with police personnel deployed for crowd management and security. Devotees are performing traditional rituals, lighting lamps, and participating in devotional bhajans across the state’s Shaiva shrines.

Karnataka is engulfed in devotion as people celebrate MahaShivaratri with deep faith and spiritual fervour. Thousands of people are thronging major Shaivite centres, including the Mahabaleshwar Temple, the iconic Shiva statue at Murudeshwar, and the revered Srikanteshwara Temple.

Devotees are taking ritual baths, offered bilva leaves, and participating in Rudrabhisheka ceremonies, making the celebrations a vibrant display of faith and devotion.

In Gujarat, a huge crowd of devotees has thronged the first Jyotirlinga Somnath Mahadev Temple since early morning. The temple gates were opened for darshan at 4 am, and the temple will remain open continuously for 42 hours. A grand palanquin procession was taken out in the temple premises today, in which a large number of devotees gathered. Devotees have also gathered at the Nageshwar Jyotirlinga Temple in Dwarka.

In Nagpur and surrounding areas, devotees queued up from dawn for darshan at major temples like Kalyaneshwar Temple, Pataleshwar Temple and 270-year-old Nagra Panchmukhi Shiv Temple. In the Nandanvan area, devotees gathered to view the 51-foot-tall idol of Lord Shiva and the historic Bahuli Well. At Pratapgad, the Mahashivratri fair highlighted Hindu-Muslim unity, with devotees visiting both the grand Shiva idol and the dargah of Khwaja Usman Gani Haruni. The Mahashivratri yatra also began at Markandadeo, often called the Kashi of Vidarbha,” where lakhs of devotees have also arrived from Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. The State Transport Corporation has launched 129 Yatra Special buses to key pilgrimage sites like Gaymukh, Pratapgad, and Ambhora until Tuesday.