5 lakh people to visit Somnath Temple on Mahashivratri

Nearly five lakh devotees are expected to visit Gujarat’s Somnath Temple during the Mahashivratri festival this weekend, with officials noting a surge in visitors following last month’s ‘Somnath Swabhiman Parv’.

Preparations are in full swing at the world-famous Somnath temple for the Mahashivratri festival on February 15. Keeping in mind the massive crowd expected this year, the temple administration and local authorities are making extensive arrangements for security and facilities, Gir Somnath District Collector NV Upadhyay told reporters on Monday. The Somnath Swabhiman Parv was organised from January 8 to 11 as a national commemoration marking 1,000 years since the first recorded attack on the Somnath Temple in January.