Soaked in religious fervour, devotees cutting across ages, from Kashmir to Assam stood in long queues outside 'shivalayas' as bedecked streets and temples wore festive look.
In Delhi, long queues of men, women and children were seen at main temples including at the Chhatarpur Temple where faithfuls made offerings to the deity and distributed sweets.
Temples in Dehradun such as Tapkeshwar Mahadev Mandir, Prithvinath Mahadev Mandir and Siddheshwar Mahadev Mandir also saw huge gathering as people waited for their turn to offer holy waters of the Ganga and milk to Lord Shiva.
India remained on high alert owing to a terror threat on 'Mahashivratri' today as temples and strategic places were under tight vigil amid inputs that 10 LeT and JeM terrorists have entered India from Pakistan through Gujarat which saw an unprecedented security cover.
Also Read
Ancient shrines dedicated to lord Shiva in riverside towns like Haridwar, where the Ardhkumbh Mela is underway, and Rishikesh witnessed an unending stream of devotees throughout the day.
Lakhs of devotees descended on the banks of the Ganga in Haridwar to take a holy dip in the river.
(REOPENS DEL38)
A large number of devotees also thronged temples across Punjab and Haryana, including Chandigarh on the occasion. The famous Saketri temple in Chandigarh was bedecked for the celebrations.
Huge rush of devotees was seen at temples in Kurukshetra in Haryana where they took a dip in the sacred 'sarovars'. In Yamunanagar also, devotees took a dip in the Yamuna river.
In Maharashtra, thousands of devotees thronged temples across the state including the Trimbakeshwar temple in Nashik.
Similarly, devotees queued up at various temples in Pune, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and other towns to offer prayers to Lord Shiva.