Religious rituals performed to mark Maha Shivaratri

Maha Shivaratri (“The Great Night of Shiva”) falls today. It is a major annual Hindu festival dedicated to Lord Shiva and is observed to overcome darkness and ignorance through daytime fasting, night-long vigils (jagran), chanting and prayers offered to the Shiva Linga.

Devout Hindu worshippers visited the Sri Ponnambalawaneswaram Temple to perform religious rituals. Pic by Kithsiri De Mel.