Kathmandu, Feb. 26 -- Serpentine lines stretching far and wide leading to the Pashupatinath temple, Hindu devotees have been observing Maha Shivaratri with devotion, prayer and rituals.

From early morning, the Hindu devotees offered incense sticks, butter and oil-fed-lamps, milk, sacred water and other delicacies to Lord Shiva, one of the principal deities of Hinduism.

"Early in the morning, I took a bath, came to the temple to worship- this is the place where our minds get free, relieves the stress and give a sense of freedom. This pilgrimage also is undertaken for peace and happiness as well as salvation," Tek Raj Khanal, a devotee who performed rituals at the temple told ANI.

Maha Shivaratri, translated as "Great Night of Lord Shiva...