Hara Hara Mahadeva..., Shivaratri Celebrated With Religious Fervor

Hyderabad: "Hara Hara Mahadeva Sambo Sankara"; the city echoed with chanting the name of Lord Shiva on Friday on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri. The festival, celebrated in the honour of Lord Shiva, with devotees observing day-long fasts and Jagaran at night, filled the air with religious fervor.

According to the Hindu calendar, the festival is celebrated on the new moon in the month of Maagha. This year, temples across the country are decorated with lights and devotees thronged the temples chanting 'Om Namah Shivaya'. Devotees observe fast and worship Lord Shiva by chanting 'Om Namah Shiva' and bathing Shiv Lingam with milk, water, honey, curd and ghee signifying purification of the soul.

It is believed that Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati got married on this day. Temples in Hyderabad and throughout Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Shaiva temples witnessed religious fervor and gaiety.

Keesaragutta: Keesaragutta temple is dedicated to Lord Siva and his consorts Bhavani and Sivadurga, located in Rangareddy district of Telangana. This temple is also known as Ramalingeshwara Swamy temple, as Sri Rama installed Siva lingam here.

Vemulawada: This temple of Lord Shiva in the form of Raja Rajeshwara Swami is very famous in this part of the region. The presiding deity of the temple is Sri Raja Rajeswara Swamy who is locally popular as Rajanna who is adorned on both the sides by the idol of Sri Raja Rajeswari Devi on the right side and to the left is the idol of Sri Laxmi Sahitha Siddi Vinayaka. This temple is situated in Karimnagar district.

Komuravelli: Komuravelli Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple popularly known as Komuravelli Mallanna Temple is a Hindu temple located on a hill in Komuravelli village of Siddipet district in Telangana state. Mallanna along with his consorts Golla Kethamma, Goddess Ganga and Medalamma, Goddess Parvati are at the main temple.

Chaya Someshwara temple: Chaya Someswara Swamy temple, also known by the name Thrikutalayam, is a Hindu temple located in Panagal, Nalgonda district, Telangana, India. It is a popular site during Sivarathri.

Thousand pillared temple: The temple is star-shaped with several shrines and lingams. There are three shrines inside the temple called the Trikutalayam, dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, and Surya. This temple is also known as Rudraswamy temple. This famous historic monument was built in a typical Chalukyan style of architecture by King Rudra Deva.

Ramappa temple: Ramappa Temple also known as Ramalingeswara temple is located in the valley of Palampet village, 77 km from Warangal. The temple is known for its elaborate carvings,floating bricks and stands as a remarkable testimony of Kakatiyan architecture.The temple is a place of lord shiva, where Lord Ramalingeswara is worshiped.

Srisailam: Sri Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple is located at Srisailam in Andhra Pradesh. Lord Shiva who goes by the name Mallikarjuna is the deity of worship while Maha Shivaratri is the most important festival celebrated at Srisailam Mallikarjuna Swamy temple. According to the mythological story, Shiva and Parvati stayed in Srishailam, in order to remain close to his son Kartikey who had decided to stay alone on Mount Kravunja.

Kalahasti: Srikalahasti Temple is located in the town of Srikalahasti, in the state of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the most famous Shiva temples in South India, and is said to be the site where Kannappa was ready to offer both his eyes to cover blood flowing from the Siva linga before the Lord Siva stopped him and granted him mukti

Sangameshwara temple: Sangameshwara temple is another fine example of Chalukyan grandeur,situated in Alampur, Mahbubnagar district. It is located near Muchumarri at the confluence of the Krishna and Bhavanasi rivers.

Mahanandi: Mahanandi is a village located east of the Nallamala Hills near Nandyal, Kurnool District, Andhra Pradesh. There are nine Nandi shrines known as Nava nandulu. Mahanandi is one of the Nava Nandis. The Mahanandiswara Swamy Temple, an important shrine, is located here. This ancient temple dates back over 1,500 years.

Yaganti: Sri Yaganti Umamaheswara swamy temple is a temple of lord shiva in Kurnool district.Chitteppa, a devotee of Lord Shiva, was worshiping Lord Shiva and Lord Shiva appeared to him as a tiger. This temple was constructed by King Harihara Bukka Raya of the Sangama Dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire in the 15th century. The devotees believe that the Nandi idol in front of the temple is continuously increasing its size.

Draksharamam: The Sri Chalukya Kumararama Sri Bhimeswaraswamy vari temple is a temple in Samalkota. It is also known as 'DAKSHIN KASHI' The presiding deity at this temple is Lord Shiva, known as Kumara Bhimeswara. The most important festival that is celebrated in this temple is Maha Sivarathri. The linga is a limestone, 14 feet (4.3 m) high. The temple was built in Dravidian style, by the King Chalukya Bhima. Hence, the god name is Bhimeswara.

Pithapuram: Sri Kukkuteshwara Swamy, a form of Lord Shiva, is the presiding Deity who reveals himself in the form of a Linga. This is a Swayambhu Linga (self originating) of white marble and is about two feet in height. The Linga resembles that of a cock. Hence Lord Shiva is called Sri Kukkuteshwara Swamy.

Kakinada: Kumararama or Bhimarama is one of the five Pancharama Kshetras that are sacred to the Hindu god Shiva. The temple is located in Samarlakota in the East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh in South India.Lord Shiva is known as Kumara Bhimeswara Swamy here. The consort of Lord Kumara Bhimeswara Swamy is Bala Tripurasundari.

Bhimavaram: Somarama is one of the Pancharama Kshetras which is located in Bhimavaram of West Godavari district. Lord Shiva is known as Someswara Swamy here. The consort of Lord Someswara is Sri Rajarajeswari Ammavaru. The Sivalinga at this place is installed and established by Lord Chandra. Maha Shivaratri and Sarannavarathri are the main festivals celebrated at this temple.

Palakollu: Ksheerarama is one, of the five, Pancharama Kshetras and is located in Palakollu, state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Lord Shiva is known locally as Ksheera Ramalingeswara Swamy. The Sivalinga was established by Lord Vishnu. It is believed that staying one day in Kshirarama is equivalent to staying one year in Varanasi.