I was checking the calendar and realized that March has two festivities – Mahashivratri on Mar 7th and Holi on March 22nd. Today, let’s talk about Lord Shiva and the festival Mahashivratri. I remember, while growing up I used to see people visiting temple with carrying Milk in a small tumbler for offering it to Lord Shiva. The entire temple used to be beautifully decorated.
Shiva is ‘shakti’ or power, Shiva is the destroyer, the most powerful god of the Hindu pantheon and one of the godheads in the Hindu Trinity. Known by many names – Mahadev, Mahayogi, Pashupati, Nataraj, Bhairav, Vishwanath, Bhole Nath – Lord Shiva is perhaps the most complex of Hindu Deities.
Mahashivratri Festival or the ‘The Night of Shiva’ is celebrated with devotion in honor of Lord Shiva, one of the deities of Hindu Trinity. Shivratri falls on the moonless 14th night of the new moon in the Hindu month of Phalgun, which corresponds to the month of February – March in English Calendar. Celebrating the festival of Shivratri, devotees observe day and night fast and perform ritual worship of Shiva Lingam.
There are various interesting legends related to the festival of Maha Shivratri. According to one of the most popular legends, Shivratri marks the wedding day of Lord Shiva and Parvati. Some believe that it was on the auspicious night of Shivratri that Lord Shiva performed the ‘Tandava’, the dance of the primal creation, preservation and destruction. Another popular Shivratri legend states that it was on Shivratri that Lord Shiva manifested himself in the form of a Linga, the most sacred symbol representing Lord Shiva. It is also believed that on Shivratri, Lord Shiva became ‘Neelkantha’ or the blue-throated by swallowing the deadly poison that came up during the churning of “Kshir Sagar” or the milky ocean. The poison was so deadly that even a drop in His stomach, which represents the universe, would have annihilated the entire world. Hence, He held it in His neck, which turned blue due to the effect of poison. Shivratri is therefore also a day of thanksgiving to the Lord for protecting us from annihilation. Hence the day is considered to be extremely auspicious by Shiva devotees and they celebrate it as Mahashivratri – the grand night of Shiva.
The festival is principally celebrated by offerings of Bel leaves to Shiva, all-day fasting and an all-night-vigil (jagaran).
Festivals are an opportunity to connect to gods and to generate positive spirits within us.
Happy Mahashivratri to all of you!!
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