Odisha capital gets ready to celebrate Mahashivratri

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Feb 23:

With the Mahashivratri just a day to go, the administration has beefed up the security to control the crowd in Odisha capital.

In view of possible influx of devotees on the occasion of Mahashivratri for tomorrow, high security arrangement has been made to avoid any untoward situation.

The Lingaraj temple administration has finalized the time table for smooth conduct of the festival.

According to sources, the Mahadeep of Lord Lingaraj will be placed atop the temple at around 10.30 pm.

The installation of CCTV cameras inside the temple premises and outside the shrine has been completed on war footing manner. The barricade has been made near the main entrance where the devotees will stand in queue to have darshan in the morning.

Similarly, arrangement has been made for smooth conduct of the celebration in other temples in Ekamra Kshetra.

The Mahadeep will be placed atop the temple crown by 10.30 pm in the Brahmeswar temple, Bhaskareswar temple, Megheswar temple, Kapileswar temple and Bhimeswar temple .

According to sources, the devotees can have darshan from 4 am till 2.30 pm and from 6 pm till 8.30 pm in Brahmeswar temple.

As per the schedule of Bhaskareswar temple, the Shahanmela darshan will start from 4.30 am.

The Megheswar temple will be opened at 3 am and the Chaturdashi rituals will begin from 8 am after completing other rituals in the temple, the servitors said.

The Shahanmela will start at around 5 am in Bhimeswar temple following Mangal Arati at 4 am. The Kotha Bhog will be publicly distributed after Mahadeep, said Bhimeswar temple management committee vice president Manas Ranjan Patnaik.