Devotees flock to temples on Maha Sivarathri

Ongole: Temples across Prakasam district witnessed huge crowds on Friday on the occasion of Maha Sivaratri celebrations. Devotees flocked to Siva temples at Tripurantakam, Bhairavakona, Podili and other places.

Hundreds of pilgrims reached Bhairavakona, five km area from Kottapalli in CS Puram mandal to offer prayers to Kalabhairava, Trimukha Durgamba. As Bhairvakona temple is the only place where eight forms of Lord Siva, Sasi Naga, Rudra, Visweswara, Nagarikeswara, Bhargeswara, Rameswara, Mallikharjuna and Pakshaghataka adorn eight temples carved from a single rock, the people from Prakasam, Guntur, Kurnool and Nellore districts took the journey through Nallamala forest to reach the temple.

The age old Balatripura Sundari and Tripurantakeswara Swamy temples at Tripurantakam in Yerragondapalem mandal also witnessed heavy flow of devotees since morning. The 1,116 Sivalinga temple at Jammulapalem in Tangutur mandal also received a large number of devotees who offered puja to the lingas.

Nirmamaheswara temple was surrounded by Kailasanatha, Nagareswara and Bhimeswara temples at Podili also received a large number of devotees. The local people started a two-day rock pulling competition for Ongole Bulls on Friday as a tradition on Maha Sivaratri.

In Ongole, Kasivisweswara Swamy temple at Kesavaswami pet, Veeranjaneyaswami temple at Santhapet, Rajarajeswara Swamy temple at Turpupalem and other Siva temples are echoed with the chanting of Om Namahsivaya since early morning and witnessed serpentine queues of the devotees.