Mahashivaratri celebrated with religious zeal in Mysuru

Mahashivaratri celebrations in Mysuru and surrounding regions draw large crowds to historic Lord Shiva shrines for prayers and darshan.

Mysuru and surrounding regions - replete with historic shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva - came alive with chanting of hymns and special prayers on the occasion of Mahashivaratri, on Wednesday.

Devotees in large numbers made a beeline to the major shrines in Mysuru, Nanjangud, Talakad, Chamarajanagar, M.M. Hills, etc., from the crack of dawn to celebrate the festival.

The Trinayaneshwara temple – dedicated to the three-eyed that is Lord Shiva - in the Mysuru Palace fort premises was swarming with devotees since morning and the district administration had made adequate arrangements for the smooth flow of the devotees to ensure a hassle-free darshan.

There was lengthy queue since morning and there was no respite even during noon as the heat was beginning to take a toll on the visitors. But the authorities had erected pandals which provided cover from the searing sun. Mysuru MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, his wife Trishika Kumari and their children, were among those who offered prayers.

A salient feature of the historic temple, also known as Trineshwara temple – is the installation of the golden mask or Chinnada Kolaga to the deity on the occasion of Mahashivaratri. It was donated by the last maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar in the 1950s, and adorns the main deity only on the day of Mahashivaratri. The temple was brought within the palace complex when the fort was enlarged by Kanthirava Narasaraja I and Devaraja I who ruled during the mid-17th century. Hence the temple is reckoned to be at least 375 to 400 years though the deity itself may have existed since earlier times.

Gurukula on the Ramajuna Road has 108 Shivalingas and drew a large number of devotees while the Mahabala temple atop Chamundi Hills is another important shrine in Mysuru that saw a steady flow of devotees throughout the day. It is reckoned to be one of the oldest temples in the district as it is a monument dated to the Ganga dynasty which ruled between the 4th to the 10th centuries CE. According to historians, the monument may have existed for atleast 1,000 years making it one of the oldest. Incidentally, the hill was known as Mahabala Betta and over the centuries came to be known as Chamundi Betta as the Wadiyars of Mysuru patronised the shrine of goddess Chamundeshwari.

Nanjangud known as Dakshina Kashi, on the banks of river Kapila, was flooded by devotees. The Srikanteshwara or Nanjundeshwara temple is not only one of the biggest temples in Karnataka but has a history of over 1,000 years. The Shivalinga was installed by sage Gautama, according to the traditional belief and the main gopura is 120 feet, that lends a grand appearance to it and is replete with stucco figures of various gods and goddesses. There were special buses to the temple town which draws devotees from not only Karnataka but other States as well.