Live
- Driving Change: Nikhil Singla on Leading a Groundbreaking Digital Transformation
- India Faces Consequences After Bangladesh Mission Breach in Tripura: A Deeply Regrettable Incident
- Green Signal for Vijayawada Metro Rail Project
- Visakhapatnam To See Metro Rail Soon
- Telangana Police Deny Allegations in Mulugu Encounter
- High Court Petition Filed Over Ticket Prices for Pushpa 2
- Bhadradri Gurukul Students Intoxicated, Education Sector Neglected
- Shahid Kapoor Felt He Needed to 'Protect' Mira Rajput from the Film Industry: 'It's a Big, Bad World'
- Trump’s Second Term Could Challenge Highly Skilled Indian Immigrants, Says Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi
- OnePlus 13 India Launch Confirmed, Global Debut and Release Date Set for January 2025
A bizarre ritual at Siva temple
Generally, on the day of Mahasivarathri, ardent devotees fast the entire day and remain awake the entire night. They visit Siva temples and offer prayers, do abhishekam and follow the normal rituals.
Nizamabad: Generally, on the day of Mahasivarathri, ardent devotees fast the entire day and remain awake the entire night. They visit Siva temples and offer prayers, do abhishekam and follow the normal rituals.
However, the locals and devotees at the Sivalingeshwara Swamy temple, situated in the dense forest region of Lonka village of Sirikonda mandal near the borders of the Nizamabad-Karimnagar district follow a different and bizarre ritual.
They cook non-vegetarian food like chicken and mutton and eat on the temple premises. They also offer it as prasadam to Lord Siva. Lonka Sivalingaeshwara Swamy is another name for Lord Siva.
The locals offer worship to Lord Siva with great devotional fervour. Furthermore, they also offer goats as sacrifice to the Lord with great devotion. They kill the goats to fulfill their vows. According to legend, Lord Rama came here during the Tretayuga while searching for his consort Sita who was abducted by Ravana.
It is believed that Rama installed the Sivalinga and offered worship to it. Speaking to The Hans India here on Friday, temple priest Srikanthachari said that the people were leading a happy and prosperous life after offering goats as a sacrifice to God. R Bhumaiah, one of the locals said that they had been following this tradition for several decades.
