Correspondent, Somnath

Various cultural programmes to be organized in the Somnath Temple premises on the occasion of Mahashivaratri has been cancelled in the wake of the terror alert issued by the IB in Gujarat.

Somnath Temple Trust, General Manager Vijaybhai Chavda today said that a nrutyotsava (dance festival) was to be held this evening and a Ras-Garba and Dayra was to be organized tomorrow as part of the Mahashivratri celebrations in the temple, which is first among the 12 jyotirlingas of lord shiva, and where the occasion every year sees a massive gathering of devotees from all over the country and various parts of the world. ‘But in the wake of the alert (terror alert) all of these have been cancelled as a precautionary measure,’ he said.

Mr. Chavda also said that elaborate security arrangements have been made to ensure uninterrupted darshan during Mahashivratri tomorrow.

To a query he, however, said that no team of NSG has visited the temple till afternoon today.

– DeshGujarat