CHITTI GHATTI, MANSEHRA: Pakistani Hindu devotees gathered at the ancient Shiva temple in Gandhian, Mansehra district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Friday to observe Maha Shivaratri.
With a security blanket thrown over the venue, heavy police contingents were deployed around the temple to safeguard the celebration.
“We have been holding the annual Maha Shivaratri festival since 1988 when there were only 80 devotees. Today, over 1,000 devotees from across Pakistan and abroad are attending. Local Muslims have no issue with us rather they treat us like their guests,” Darshan Lal, caretaker of the temple, told Arab News.

The annual celebration, Lal said, marks the consummation of Hindu god Shiva’s marriage. The festival’s name is translated as “the great night of Shiva.”
“In Hinduism, it is the most sacred festival … Devotees fast, chant devotional songs all night. Everyone wants to please gods and Shiva by offering him milk and cold water,” he said.

Pundit Jaya Parkash explained Maha Shivaratri, the wedding of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, was of paramount significance to Hindus.
“Male and female devotees pray for the entire day amid fasting. They pray for the wellbeing of their dear ones,” he said.
“The day is being observed to remember Shiva, meditating on virtues such as honesty and forgiveness. We are awake all night to pray for our dreams to materialize, and we sing hymns for Lord Shiva,” said Hareesh Kumar, one of the devotees.

According to the Pakistan Hindu Council, some 8 million Hindus live in different parts of the country, a majority of them in the province of Sindh.