People across India and Nepal on Monday celebrated Mahashivratri with devotion and religious fervour. Mahashivratri, celebrated annually in reverence of Lord Shiva, is also believed to be a celebration of the wedding of Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It is also believed that on this day Shiva saved the universe by consuming the poison which emerged from the samudra manthana (churning of the ocean).
Here are some glimpses of the celebrations.
IMAGE: Devotees take part in Ganga aarti on the eve of Mahashivratri at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar on Sunday. Photograph: PTI photo
IMAGE: Devotees offer prayers at the Shiva temple in Guwahati, Assam.
IMAGE: A sadhu, with a snake wrapped on his neck sits at the premises of Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters
IMAGE: A Kashmiri Pandit family offer prayer at migrant camp Muthi in Jammu on Sunday. Photograph: PTI photo
IMAGE: Devotees offer prayers at the Shiva temple in Guwahati, Assam.
IMAGE: A sadhu, poses for a picture along with devotees during the Shivaratri festival at the premises of Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters
IMAGE: Devotees pour milk over a Shiva Lingam (a symbol of Lord Shiva) at the Shiva temple in Guwahati, Assam.
IMAGE: Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik prepared Lord Shiva's sand sculpture at Puri beach in Odisha. Photograph: Sudarsan Pattnaik/Twitter
IMAGE: A sadhu smokes marijuana in a chillum on the premises of Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal. Photograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters