Mysuru: Mahashivarathri festival was celebrated on a grand note, with the Eshwara temples in the city, witnessing a huge footfalls of devotees from yesterday morning till the early hours of today, when the special puja rituals related to the festival concluded with Mahamangalarati to the presiding deity.

Since pre-dawn hours, the temples resonated with the chanting of Shiva Stotra and playing of audio songs dedicated to the Lord, during which the Shivalinga was decorated with various types of flowers, especially the Bilva Patra, considered as the favourite of the Lord and Rudrakshi Mala, a garland made of the dried stones of the fruit of the Elaeocarpus ganitrus tree (Rudraksha Tree).

Sri Trineshwaraswamy Temple near Jayamarthanda Gate of Mysore Palace, that attracts hordes rush of devotees, for the once in a year marvellous attraction of 11-kg Chinnada Kolaga (Golden Mask) adorning the Shivalinga, that marks Shivarathri festival fete, saw devotees making a beeline to have a glimpse of the Lord with reverence.

Wadiyars, the ardent devotee of Sri Trineshwaraswamy, were among the most prominent visitors, with the current titular head of the Erstwhile Royal Family of Mysore Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, accompanied by his wife Trishikha Kumari Wadiyar, elder son Aadyaveer Narasimharaja Wadiyar and newly born second son, who was recently named in a christening ceremony as Yugadhyaksh Krishnaraja Wadiyar, paying his obeisance to the God. As per the Palace custom and tradition, the Wadiyars offered puja to the Shivalinga. They later visited 108-linga at Shilpi Siddalinga Swamy’s Gurukula on Ramanuja Road.

Likewise, all the Shiva temples in the city; Sri Amrutheshwara Swamy Temple on D. Subbaiah Road, Sri Chandramoulishwara Swamy Temple at K.G. Koppal and V.V. Mohalla, Sri Prasanna Shivalingeshwara Swamy Temple at Kuvempunagar, Sri Mahalingeshwara Swamy Temple at Chamundipuram, Sri Kameshwara Kameshwari Temple on Ramanuja Road to name a few, saw a huge rush of devotees.

Special pujas had been organised at Sri Sadguru Seva Mandal at the premises of Sri Maharaja Sanskrit School, during which Sri Vidyabhinava Valukeshwara Bharati Swamiji was present.

The puja rituals at Sri Srikanteshwara Swamy Temple at Nanjangud, popular as ‘Dakshina Kashi,’ began at 4 am yesterday, during which various Abhishekas were performed to the Shivalinga, using Sandal paste, Kumkuma, Arishina, Milk, Curd, Tender Coconut, followed by decorating the lord and offering Mangalarati, before opening the temple for the darshan of the devotees.

Most of the temples that came under Shree Chamundeshwari Kshetra Development Authority and Muzrai Department in and around the district, had organised various cultural programmes, that included devotional music concerts, rendition of Harikatha and Bharatanatyam dance programmes.

The devotees on Jagarane (night vigil), one of the vital tradition in practice that marks the completion of Mahashivarathri, were a common sight at most of the historical temples in the city. The prasada was distributed to the visitors, with the generous minded people, sponsoring the same. Upma, Sajjige (Sweet made of Sooji Rava) and Kadale Kalu Usli (Made of Black Chana) were offered as prasada to the devotees.