Odissi enchants devotees at Dhabaleswar

CUTTACK: Lakhs thronged the Shiva temples in and around the city as the Maha Shivaratri festival was celebrated with religious fervour here on Monday.Dhabaleshwar temple, the famous Shiva temple in the midst of the River Mahanadi, witnessed heavy turnout even as other temples like Amareshwar temple at Buxi Bazaar, Ashtasambhu temple at Chandni Chowk, Hatakeswar at Dolmundai, Chahateswar at Chahata Ghat, Chandrasekhar temple at Telenga  Bazaar and Gadgadia Ghat were choc-a-bloc with devotees since the wee hours. The temples decorated in a riot of colours rang in festivities while the surroundings resonated with the chanting of shlokas and bhajans.  Long queues could be seen across the temples as devotees waited for their turn to offer prayers. The ‘Mahadeepa’ ceremony was conducted after 10 pm here. The devout, who had observed a fast on the day, enthusiastically took part in the rituals, and waited for the ‘Mahadeepa’ to be raised. The ritual marks the ending of the fast among the devotees.Cultural programmes were also organised at different temples. The Dhabaleswar temple played host to a enthralling show of Odissi dance in the evening. Organised by Delhi-based Chandana Dance Academy in association with the State Endowments Authority and the Cuttack district administration, reputed dancers from Odisha and outside gave spectacular performances in the classical dance form.