Maharashtra: Mahashivratri to be celebrated on Friday

MUMBAI: Floral garlands, oil lamps and strings of fairy lights adorn 'shivalas' including those in Babulnath, Jogeshwari, Ambernath and Ulhasnagar as devotees prepare to celebrate the festival of Mahashivratri Friday. Special prayers will be performed at midnight to celebrate the wedding of Lord Shiva with Parvati.
Approximately four lakh worshippers will arrive with offerings of milk, belpatra, bel fruit, lotus and dhatura at Babulnath temple, Chowpatty. Spokesman R T Sah said, "We have prepared a grand floral rangoli and beautified the main gate. Throughout Friday-Saturday, the deity's chamber inside the temple will remain open for darshan except during the main puja around midnight when devotees can worship from the periphery. Around 250 volunteers have been posted to assist visitors."

The Narmadeshwar Mahadev temple in Mankhurd (E) is preparing to welcome over 5,000 devotees. Spokesman Dilip Trivedi said they had installed railings for crowd management. "Despite the fact that this shrine is surrounded by a jungle on three sides, devotees do not feel insecure to arrive for darshan at midnight," he said.
Matunga resident K A Viswanathan said, "The Sankar Mattham temple in the neighbourhood will conduct the Laksharchana ritual with bel leaves by chanting Om Namah Shivay one lakh times. The maha deeparadhana will be performed early morning. The Bhuvaneswari Shiva temple nearby also performs puja. Flowers and bilva leaves have become costlier as demand from temples has risen."