Maha Shivaratri

Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated each year to honor Lord Shiva. It is celebrated just before the arrival of spring. It is also known as the Great Night of Shiva or Shivaratri.

Why is it important?

Maha Shivaratri is one of the largest and most significant among the sacred festival nights of India.

The 14th day of the dark half of each lunar month is specially sacred to Shiva, but when it occurs in the month of Magha (January–February) and, to a lesser extent, in the month of Phalguna (February–March), it is a day of particular rejoicing.

It also refers to the night when Lord Shiva performs the heavenly dance of creation, preservation, and destruction. There are 12 Shivaratris in a year; however, Maha Shivaratri is especially auspicious. This night marks the convergence of Shiva and Shakti, which means the masculine and feminine energies that balance the world.

The preceding day the participants observe a fast and at night a vigil during which a special worship of the lingam (symbol of Shiva) is performed. The following day is celebrated with feasting, festival fairs, and, among the members of the South Indian Lingayat sect, the giving of gifts to the guru (personal spiritual guide).

Origin and Significance

In Hindu culture, this is a solemn festival that marks the remembrance of 'overcoming darkness and ignorance in life'. Different legends, throughout history, describe the significance of Maha Shivratri and according to one of them, it is on this night that Lord Shiva performs his cosmic dance of 'creation, preservation and destruction'.

According to another legend, during the samudra manthan (an episode of Hindu scriptures explaining the origin of the elixir of eternal life), a pot of poison emerged from the ocean. This terrified the Gods and demons as the poison was capable of destroying the entire world, and they ran to Shiva for help. To protect the world from its evil effects, Shiva drank the deathly poison but held it in his throat instead of swallowing it. This made his throat turn blue, and he was given the name Neelakantha, the blue-throated one. Shivaratri is the celebration of this event by which Shiva saved the world.

A third legend explains the all-night worship of Shiva on Shivratri. There was once a poor tribal man who was great devotee of Shiva. One day he went deep into the forest to collect firewood. However he lost his way and could not return home before nightfall. As darkness fell, he heard the growls of wild animals. Terrified, he climbed onto the nearest tree for shelter till day-break. Perched amongst the branches, he was afraid he would doze and fall off the tree. To stay awake, he decided to pluck a leaf at a time from the tree and drop it, while chanting the name of Shiva. At dawn, he realized that he had dropped a thousand leaves onto a Linga to keep himself awake, the tribal plucked one leaf at a time from the tree and dropped it below which he had not seen in the dark. The tree happened to be a wood apple or bel tree. This unwitting all-night worship pleased Shiva, by whose grace the tribal was rewarded with divine bliss. This story is also recited on Mahashivaratri by devotees on fast.

sources: Hindustantimes.com; Wikipedia.org; Britannica.com

The Jaagaran

An all-night vigil

The celebration includes maintaining a "jaagaran", an all-night vigil and prayers, because Shaiva Hindus mark this night as "overcoming darkness and ignorance" in one's life and the world through Shiva. Offerings of fruits, leaves, sweets and milk are made to Shiva, some perform all-day fasting with Vedic or tantric worship of Shiva, and some perform meditative Yoga. In Shiva temples, "Om Namah Shivaya", the sacred Panchakshari mantra of Shiva, is chanted through the day. Devotees praise Shiva through the recitation of Shiv Chalisa (a devotional ode).

The Celebration

Unlike most Hindu festivals which are celebrated during the day, the Maha Shivaratri is celebrated at night. Furthermore, unlike most Hindu festivals which include expression of cultural revelry, the Maha Shivaratri is a solemn event notable for its introspective focus, fasting, meditation on Shiva, self study, social harmony and an all night vigil at Shiva temples.

During daylight hours, devotees rise early and take a ritual bath. After these ablutions, they will head over to the nearest temple dedicated to Shiva, to make offerings of milk, yoghurt, honey, ghee, sugar, and water.

Observers remember Shiva by chanting prayers, fasting and meditating on ethics and virtues such as honesty, non-injury to others, charity, forgiveness, and the discovery of Shiva.