Homas, chants at temples of Lord Shiva

BANGALORE: The week started on a divine note as lakhs thronged temples of Lord Shiva from morning to midnight on Monday. People from all walks of life took part in day-long rituals of Rudrabhishekam by performing the Maha Sudarshan Kriya (bathing the ‘lingam’). Homas, chants and devotional songs rent the air as devotees kept temple hopping through the evening.Many broke their day-long fast after offering prayers.
Temples decorated the idol of Lord Shiva and the lingam. The oldest of them — Sree Gavi Gangadhareshwara Swamy temple in Gavipuram — had a number of rituals lined up from early Monday morning till Tuesday.
Students of Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya celebrated the festival even as the institution completed 75 years.
The 11.5-foot-long Ice lingam at Sumangali Seva Asharam in Hebbal attracted thousands of devotees from Friday afternoon itself.
In Basavanagudi, a 20-feet idol was unveiled and 7,500 litres of Gangajal distributed among devotees. Mahaganapathy Temple in Malleswaram decorated the lingam with 1 lakh pearls.