MUMBAI, March 4 (Xinhua) -- Festive fervour of Mahashivratri, amid holy chants reverberated across the temples of Mumbai city and across the country amid a public holiday with all financial markets including banks being shut down.

The Hindu festival that falls once in a year during the month of February or March, is observed by chanting prayers, fasting and meditations and offering milk to the iconic representation of the idol.

This year's festival also coincided with the closing day of the mega holy event of Ardh Kumbh held on the banks of the three rivers, Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati in Prayagraj city of the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

In the financial capital of the country, Mumbai, Union Minister for railways and coal, Piyush Goyal offered milk and flowers to the Shivling deity and performed the rituals at Babulnath temple along with his family.

Shivling deity at Babulnath in Mumbai was believed to have consecrated in the 12th century and it was buried and lost over a period of time, till it was re-discovered during the period of 1700 to 1780.