Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar participated in the Maha Shivratri Shobha Yatra welcome celebrations near the Khajpura Shiv Temple in Patna on Wednesday.
He performed the aarti of Lord Bholenath, Goddess Parvati, and their vahana, Lord Nandi, and prayed for peace, prosperity, and happiness across Bihar.
During the Maha Shivratri festival, the Chief Minister welcomed the organisations participating in the Shobha Yatra by presenting them with symbolic gifts.
The organisers, in turn, honoured the Chief Minister by offering him a shawl and symbolic gifts. The procession, carrying Lord Bholenath’s entourage, was greeted with grand aarti and floral showers.
This year’s Maha Shivratri celebrations transformed the entire capital into a Shiva-centric atmosphere. Most temples are decorated, and throughout the day, there was a constant stream of devotees visiting the Shiv temples.
Under the auspices of the Maha Shivaratri Shobha Yatra Committee, 32 Shobha Yatras were taken out from various neighbourhoods of the city on Wednesday evening, featuring festive music, beautiful tableaux, and processions. All the processions followed predetermined routes and arrived at the main event location at Khajpura Shiv Temple in the evening.
Along the procession route, several decorative gateways were erected, and arrangements for floral showers and stalls for serving drinks and water were set up at 20 locations. Thousands of devotees gathered around the Khajpura Shiv Temple.
The event was attended by Water Resources Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, former Governor of Sikkim Ganga Prasad, Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary Deepak Kumar, MLA Sanjeev Chaurasia, JD-U National General Secretary Manish Kumar Verma, and several other public representatives and scores of devotees.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister extended his greetings and best wishes for Maha Shivratri, hoping that the festival would bring peace, prosperity, and happiness to all the people of the state.
(IANS)
