With Mahashivratri on Monday, residents of Ambernath, Ulhasnagar, and Badlapur gear up to host long queues of devotees of Shiva at the town's ancient Shiv Mandir. The temple, which is over 1,000 years old, sees a turnover of more than 5 lakh devotees on this day every year.
Mahashivratri is a busy time for the locals of Ambernath — home to the famous Shiv Mandir said to be built in 1060 AD. This ancient temple attracts a crowd of lakhs of devotees, who start queuing up outside the temple a day earlier. The occasion also involves a fair for the tribals of the surrounding areas to come forth and sell their handicrafts.
Ambernath becomes a hub of activity from the previous night and the queue of devotees is so long that special arrangements are made by the police to manage the traffic system.
Along with the police, the volunteers of Nagrik Seva Sanstha also spend nearly 26 hours to cater to the crowd. "We put up food and water stalls and have the largest larder to feed the devotees who queue up from the previous evening," says Satyajit Burman, president of Nagrik Seva Sanstha (NSS).
Since many devotees observe a fast on this day, the NSS has a special food stall to cater to them. "We serve sabudana khichdi, kheer and fruits to those who are fasting. Tea and water are also provided to all the devotees," Burman said. For this 26-hour-long marathon feast, the members of the NSS cook round the clock.
NSS is a resident organisation which was formed in 1990. It has played a pivotal role in the restoration of the Ambernath Shiv Mandir.
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The occasion also involves a fair for the tribals of the surrounding areas to come forth and sell their handicrafts. Nargik Seva Sanstha spends 26 hours to cater to the needs of the crowd
