CHILDREN in Southampton joined hundreds of millions of people worldwide to sing and dance in a religious festival.

Hundreds of people were at the Vedic Society Hindu Temple in Radcliffe Road, St Mary’s, to take part in the Maha Shivratri celebrations.

The evening began with a banquet of Indian food before children from the Vedic Balvikas youth group performed music and dance routines celebrating the life of the god Lord Shiva.

Temple priest Ritesh Bhatt then performed a ceremony before the devotees placed fruits and milk at an idol of the god.

After the main event scores of worshippers remained at the temple to pray overnight.

A spokesman for the temple said people from all backgrounds were at the event.

He said: “It brought all the communities together. After an absence of a few years it was good to see Southampton organisations performing routines.”