Thousands of devotees of Lord Shiva flocked at Khopi-Khola Mahakal Dham Shiv Mandir in Phuentsholing to worship the Lord on the occasion of Maha Shivratri today. The festival has been accorded with a lot of significance in Hindu mythology and is considered very auspicious.
Devotees from as far as Siliguri and Cooch Bihar in India gathered to revere Lord Shiva at the sacred place in Phuentsholing which is about an hour’s walk from the road point in Dhamdara. People had started coming for the worship from as early as 3 in the morning.
Villagers say people have been visiting this sacred site for years. According to the Tshogpa of Dhamdara, Dhan Bahadur Rai, devotees used to come even before people started settling at Dhamdara. “Even when I was kid, people used to come. And then in later years the villagers made footpaths for the devotees.”
People with offerings on the plate gave sacred bath to Lord Shiva with honey, milk and water. Devotees were also seen taking bath in the stream in the area to cleanse themselves of their past sins.
According to myths, worshiping Lord Shiva on this day forgives devotees of their past sins and attains salvation. “On this day, devotees worship by making offerings to Lord Shiva. They also pray for wish fulfillment and receive blessings from him for a prosperous life,” said Pundit D R Adhikari.
People also gathered in groups and sang mantras in worship of the Lord.
The ceremony was organized by the Phuentsholing Hindu Dharma Tshogpa together with the community of Dhamdara.
