Spiritual aura enveloped Teerthala village in Khammam rural mandal as a large number of devotees swarmed the famous Sangameshwara Swamy temple to attend the jatara on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri on Thursday.
The jatara site situated near the confluence point of Akeru, Munneru and Buggeru rivers teemed with hordes of devotees from far and wide. A steady stream of devotees thronged the temple from the early hours of the day to offer special prayers. Children had a gala time enjoying a rides on the giant wheel and participating in some fun-filled activities at the jatara grounds.
A large posse of police personnel was deployed at the jatara site as part of tight security arrangements.
Elsewhere in the district, the temples dedicated to Lord Shiva in his various avatars witnessed heavy influx of devotees. The historic Ganapeshwaralayam in Kusumanchi dating back to the Kakatiya era, Neeladreeshwara Swamy temple in Penuballi mandal, Sri Mrutyunjaya Swamy temple in Madhira, and a host of other famous Shiva temples witnessed heavy rush of devotees. Maha Shivaratri was celebrated with great devotion and religious fervour at Shiva temples across the length and breadth of Bhadradri-Kothagudem district. Annual religious jataras got underway at Sri Veerabhadra Swamy temple in Tegada village and Sri Uma Ramalingeshwara Swamy temple in Pujarigudem in the border mandal of Charla in Bhadrachalam Agency coinciding with the festival.