Maha Shivaratri fiesta gets underway

Warangal: The five-day Maha Shivaratri Mahotsavam at the historic Thousand Pillars Temple, the abode of Rudreshwara Swamy, a personification of Lord Shiva, got underway here amid religious fervour on Thursday. The other temples spruced up for the Maha Shivaratri fiesta are Kaleshwara Mukteeshwara Swamy temple at Kaleshwaram, and Kota Gullu, a cluster of temples near Ganapuram village in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district.

In Hanamkonda, Government Chief Whip D Vinay Bhaskar launched Shivaratri festivities at Thousand Pillars temple. The festivity began with the temple priests performing Suprabhata puja, Ganapati puja, Punyahavachanam, Ankurarpana and other rituals.

"The celestial wedding of the Rudreshwara Swami and Rudreshwari Devi would be performed at 6.05 pm in the muhurat of Sravana Nakshtra Yukta Godhuli Lagnam on Friday (February 21)," Gangu Upendra Sharma said.

Meanwhile, Warangal Urban District Collector Rajeev Gandhi Hanumanthu inspected the arrangements at the temple. Later, he reviewed the arrangements being made for the event. Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) has been entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring sanitation, drinking water and queues for the convenience of devotees. The electricity department has deployed its staff to look after the lighting in the temple. A special medical camp was also set up by the Health Department. Warangal Commissioner of Police V Ravinder has issued traffic advisory on account of the Maha Shivaratri festival in the city.

Meanwhile, Indus Foundation has made arrangements for the conduct of spiritual and cultural programmes at the Hayagreeva Chary ground in Hanamkonda, in connection with the Maha Shivaratri. Indus Foundation President A Rakesh Reddy said that 400-year rule of Kakatiya dynasty was a golden period for the region's culture and traditions. The programme is to remind the culture of the Kakatiya dynasty, he said.