Maha Shivaratri literally means 'The Night of Lord Shiva.' The festival falls on the new moon day, where the people observe fasting. They visit Shiva temples and spend the day chanting the Lord's mantras. Thereafter people stay awake at the night, which is called Jagaran. The festival is celebrated all over the country regardless of caste and region.

Also read: Shiva Temples To Visit in Telangana

Let us see the temples, which are highly crowded on the festive day in Karnataka.

Murdeshwar

The Murdeshwara temple is located in Uttara Kannada in Bhatkal. The place is very attractive as the temple lies on the coast of Arabian sea. A big statue of Lord Shiva is seen at the premises. It is the second tallest Shiva Statue in India.

Kotiligeshwara

The temple is famous for largest Shiva Linga along with a number of Shiva Lingas installed at the temple. It is located in Kammasandra village of Kolar district.

Mahabaleshwaram

This is the yet another temple in Uttara Kannada district, located in Gokarna. Mahabaleshwar temple is considered as the holy place of Lord Shiva after Varnasi. The temple is popularly called as Dakshin Kasi and is built is Dravidian architectural style.

Kolar

Lord Shiva is famous as Someshwara here. This temple is located in Kolar district of Karnataka. It resemblances the Someshwara temple located in Bangalore. The temple was built during the reign of Vijayanagara empire.

Dharmasthala

The temple is situated in Dakshin Kannada and the deity is known as Sri Manjunatha. This is the oldest temple in the state, which is 800-year-old.