<span style="color: #222222;">The festival of Maha Shivratri is being celebrated across the country with full religious fervour and gaiety.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;">On this occasion, the devotees worship Lord Shiva, the destroyer of evil. The devotees also visit Shiva temples to pay their obeisance to seek God's blessings.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;">It is believed that worship of Lord Shiva on Shivratri absolves a devotee of past sins. The worship is said to liberate a soul from the cycle of birth and death and helps attain moksha or salvation.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' <br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;">President Ram Nath Kovind has extended greetings  to all the countrymen on the auspicious occasion of Mahashivaratri. In a tweet, Mr Kovind wished that the festival be celebrated as a sacred remembrance of the marriage of Goddess Parvati with Lord Shiva.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;"><br />'' <br />'' </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu too has greeted everyone on the occasion of MahaShivratri today. Mr Naidu prayed that Bhole Nath bless everyone with the strength to brave any difficulties and bestow happiness, good health and prosperity on all.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;">Similarly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi too has extended his greetings to the people on the special occasion of Mahashivratri. <br />''  </span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;">In Uttar Pradesh, on the occasion of Mahashivratri, lakhs of devotees are taking holy dip in various rivers and worshipping Lord Shiva in temples. Administration has made elaborate arrangements for today's snan at Sangam which will also mark the end of Magh Mela 2021.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><b><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></b><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;">In Andhra Pradesh, devotees thronged to various Shiva temples on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri. The highly revered temples like Sri Kalahasteshwara Temple in Kalahasti and the Bharamarambha Malikarjunaswamy Temple in Srisailam are witnessing devotees in big numbers.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;">In  Vijayawada, devotees take holy dip in river Krishna and have a darshan of lord Shiva at the famous Mallikharjuna Swamy temple atop the hill. Devotees from across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh also make a beeline to the hill shrine of Kotappakonda Shiva temple and Amaralingeswara temple, located on the banks of the River Krishna at Amaravathi in Guntur district.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;">The Pancharama temples of Amaravathi, Samarlakota, Draksharamam, Palkollu and Bhimavaram also witnessed a surge in pilgrims during Shivaratri.</span><span style="color: #333333;"><br />'' <br />'' </span><span style="color: #222222;">Hindus consider it auspicious to worship Lord Shiva on a Shivaratri as it is believed that worship of Lord Shiva absolves a devotee of past sins. The worship is said to liberate a soul from the cycle of birth and death and attains moksha or salvation.  </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The festival of Mahashivratri is being celebrated with great enthusiasm in Madhya Pradesh. At Ujjain, the administration and Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee have made all arrangements to facilitate the darshan of Lord Shiva to devotees on Maha Shivaratri at Shri Mahakaleshwar temple.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">At Ujjain in MP, Mahakaleshwar temple has been decorated with glittering lights. The morning Bhasmarti was performed only in the presence of priests. Only 25, 000 devotees who have made pre-booking of darshan online are being allowed to enter the temple due to covid.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Administration has made arrangements for Face masks ,Sanitisers and water bottles for devotees. The vehicle parking arrangements for the devotees is made near Triveni Museum.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Mahakaleshawar temple  is one of the twelve Jyotirlingams shrines which are said to be the most sacred abodes of Lord Shiva.</span>