Maha Shivaratri draws heavy crowds to Hyderabad temples amid tight security

From the first light of Sunday, thousands streamed into temples across Hyderabad, to offer prayers on Maha Shivaratri. The festival’s coincidence with a Sunday swelled crowds beyond the usual, with long queues forming at major shrines as police enforced heightened security through the morning.

The devotional surge had begun a day earlier. Markets bustled with shoppers buying flowers, fruits, bael leaves and sweets, a rush that spilled into Sunday as vendors near prominent temples reported brisk business.

At the Ramalingeshwara Temple atop Keesaragutta, one of the most visited Shiva shrines in the region during Maha Shivaratri, elaborate arrangements guided a steady flow of worshippers up the hill, with queue systems and crowd-control measures in place throughout the day.

As night fell, the city stayed awake. Residential welfare associations, colony groups and youth clubs hosted religious discourses, devotional music and cultural programmes, carrying the spirit of Jagaran through the hours till dawn.

Meanwhile, the police made elaborate arrangements at major temples and along key approach roads to ensure smooth conduct of the festival. Traffic personnel were deployed to regulate vehicular movement and prevent congestion on roads leading to prominent places of worship while additional forces were stationed to manage crowds and maintain law and order during the celebrations.