Mega celebrations planned for Shivratri in Steel City

JAMSHEDPUR: The temple committees in Steel City and surrounding towns are gearing up to celebrate Mahashivratri on Saturday.
In a first for Steel City, the scenic banks of Domuhani river in Sonari, will witness several religious and cultural events on the theme of "Shiv aradhana", which will be performed by priests, sadhus and the artistes arriving from Varanasi.
"We have invited 11 senior priests from the holy town of Varanasi to offer mahaarti to Mata Subernarekha and Tusu Mata, on the lines of Ganga aarti, on Mahashivratri," said health minister Banna Gupta, who is organising the event.
Gupta said "shahi snan" or royal bath will be taken by the sadhus and disciples of different akharas in the Subernarekha river.
Popular Bhojpuri bhajan singer, Bharat Sharma, will give live performance on the evening of the auspicious day. The rudraabhishek and jalabhishek programmes will be organised on a grand scale, he said. "The idea behind organising first such Mahashivratri on the banks of the confluence of Subernarekha and Kharkhai rivers is to ensure beautification of the place and conserve the flora and fona of Domuhani," Banna said.
The popular Shiv temples in the town have been decorated with colourful LED lights to give a festive look to the temple structures. All the temples have been cleaned, whitewashed and decorated with flowers.
The temple committee of the Paramhans Laxminath Goswami temple, which is situated on the Kharkhai link road in Bistupur, will offer two and half lakh parthiv Shivlings (earthen Shivling) to Lord Shiva on Mahashivratri. "A total of 600 women enthusiasts are making the parthiv Shivlings since February 1. Earlier, we distributed a truckload of clay among the interested women for making the Shivlings," said a temple committee member, Suranjan Rai.
The temple committee of Chitreswardham temple in Baharagora, one of the prominent temples in the district that receives a large gathering of the devotees on Mahashivratri, has requested the district administration to put in place a necessary regulatory system to control the crowd. Besides, the temple committee has also sought a first-aid camp at the site.
The Andhra Bhakta Shri Ram Mandiram, Bistupur, temple committee, general secretary, Jammi Bhaskar, said: "The midnight prayers offered on Mahashivratri receives large patronage by the devotees. This year, we are expecting an encouraging turnout." He said the temple has been decorated with flowers and colourful lights, which is reflecting the festive mood of the followers.
The revered mahadevsal shrine in Goilkera, Chakradharpur, in West Singhbhum, is aslo being prepared for the grand celebrations.The temple committee, with the cooperation of the local police, has put up barricades at the temple site to streamline the heavy rush of the devotees.