Major temples dedicated to Lord Shiva in Mysuru region came alive with chants and hymns as Mahashivratri was celebrated with traditional fervour and devotion on Friday.
The region is replete with major Shaiva shrines some of which are historic and over 1000 years old and they were packed with devotees and pilgrims who had come from different parts of the State.
Srikanteshwara temple at Nanjangud, Male Mahadeshwara temple at M.M. Hills, Chamarajeshwara temple at Chamarajanagar, Trinayaneshwara temple within the palace fort in Mysuru city, Vaidyanatheshwara temple at Talakad, Mallikarjunaswamy temple at Muduktore also near Talakad are some of the shrines which are well known and attracts a large crowd and it was no different this year as well.
At Nanjangud which is known as Dakshina Kashi – there was a steady flow of pilgrims many of whom bathed in the Kapila river before making their way to the massive temple complex whose history spans over 1000 years with successive dynasties contributing to the architectural embellishment of the temple – from the Gangas to the Hoysalas and from Vijayanagar rulers down to the Wadiyars.
Similar scenes were witnessed at M.M. Hills where devotees from villages and towns bordering Tamil Nadu, visit and offer prayers at Male Mahadeshwara temple before breaking fast. The famous shrine is located in the M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and many devotees tend to trek long distances. In view of the anticipated rush, the district administration has banned the entry of two-wheelers to the shrine atop the hills as it could cause traffic gridlock.
Talakadu in T. Narsipura taluk of Mysuru district is not only a historic place patronised by many dynasties, but it has also been a pilgrim centre and seat of five major Shiva shrines; namely Sri Vaidyanateshwara, Sri Pataleshwara, Sri Maruleshwara, Sri Arakeshwara, and Mudukotore Sri Mallikarjunaswamy all of which attract large crowd more so during special occasions like Mahashivratri.
In Mysuru city Trineshwara or Trinayaneshwara temple saw lengthy queue of devotees from morning as special rites and rituals were conducted to mark Mahashivratri. The devotees braved the scorching sun and the heat of summer to get darshan of Trinayaneshwara or the ‘’three-eyed one’’.
A salient feature which draws devotees is the practice of adorning the Shivalinga with a golden mask which was a gift by the last maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar in the 1950s. The golden mask or the Chinnada Kolaga, as it is called, is adorned only once a year – on the day of Mahashivartri – after which it is preserved and secured in the district treasury.
At many shrines volunteers served prasadam while temple authorities performed special rituals to mark the occasion complete with chanting of Sri Rudram Chamakam, performance of Bilavarchane apart from regular abhisheka at all shrines.
Gurukula with 108 Shivalingas on the Ramanuja Road, Chandramouleshwara temple at Mathru Mandali Circle, Maruti temple at T.K. Layout, Mahabaleshwara temple atop the Chamundi Hills were other shrines which drew a steady stream of devotees celebrating Mahashivartri. The followers of Brahmakumaris in the city also celebrated Mahashivratri and a feature was the replica of Ujjain’s Mahakaleshwar temple at the Institute of Education Trust, Sarawathipuram, which drew a large crowd.
