MUMBAI: Not being able to celebrate the Maha Shivaratri due to Covid-19 restrictions and protocols, the faithful in the city celebrated Mahashivratri with great aplomb. 

The fest is celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva and the name also refers to the night when Shiva performs the heavenly dance called Tandava.

Devotees thronged several Shiva temples in the city to offer their prayers. Among the most popular venues of the prayers is the temple of Babulnath near Girgaum Chowpatty, which saw a high footfall of devotees which was managed by many volunteers deployed by the management. 

Another very popular worship site is the Mandpeshwar Caves in Borivali, an eighth-century rock-cut shrine dedicated solely to Lord Shiva, where hundreds of devotees came to celebrate the occasion. 

Several hundred faithful also visited the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) from Borivali end on Tuesday to celebrate the festival. 

Another popular place of worship is Karat near Mumbai where there are several famous Shiva temples like the famous Kondeshwar Temple situated on the Kondeshwar Lake, which is formed by the Bhoj Dam.

Also in Karjat is a unique Shiva temple with a tall Shiva statue which is 100 feet in height installed on a small hillock, which also saw a stream of devotees offering prayers.

Devotees who spoke to Express Post said that for the past two years they were not able to celebrate the festival due to lockdown and then the restrictions. They said they kept fast on this day and visited the temple to offer prayers so that another Covid wave will not come in the near future. Many complained that they had suffered a loss due to lack of business during Covid and hoped for a better year ahead.