Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival purely dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva, the god of destruction and regeneration. This sectarian festival is the most important one, particularly to the Saivites. According to the lunisolar calendar, there are 12 Shivaratris every year. From the 13th night to the 14th day of every month holy Shivaratri extends. But Maha Shivaratri or the great Shivaratri generally comes off in the month of Magha (January – February) and rarely in the month of Phalguna (February – March). This year Maha Shivaratri is scheduled to be held on February 18.

Night of Cosmic Dance: According to several Puranas especially the Skanda Purana, Linga Purana, Padma Purana, etc there are several stories associated with the festival of Maha Shivaratri. One of the most popular legends depicts that the holy day of Maha Shivaratri commemorates the day on which Lord Shiva performed the cosmic dance of creation, preservation, and destruction. On that particular night Lord Shiva, despite being one of the Hindu Trinity, played all three roles through his heavenly, spiritual, and psychological dance. This is well expressed by Aldous Leonard Huxley, an English writer, and philosopher. He writes “The whole thing is there, you see. The world of space and time, and matter and energy, the world of creation and destruction, the world of psychology… We (the West) don’t have anything remotely approaching such a comprehensive symbol, which is both cosmic, psychological, and spiritual.” Chanting hymns and joining the cosmic dance in chorus symbolize the omnipresence of Lord Shiva. The night also signifies the transition from annihilation to regeneration.

Swig of Halahala: When the Devas and Ashuras during the truce decided to churn Kshirasagara (the ocean of milk), they used Mount Mandara as a churning rod and Vasuki, the king of Nagas and who coiled Lord Shiva’s neck, as the churning rope. During the strenuous process of churning the great serpent, Vasuki regorged ‘Halahala’ (the deadliest poison) leaving the universe on the verge of total doom. Then Lord Shiva emerged as the savior of the universe. He gulped the ‘Halahala’ and beheld it in his neck contused and turned blue. For this Lord Shiva was entitled “Neel Kanth”. Devotees of Shiva are believed to keep vigil of the night to accompany their God awaiting him to rouse him from his state of unconsciousness.

Wedding of Shiva: In North India, the day is celebrated as the wedding anniversary of Lord Shiva, the God of destruction, and Parati, the Goddess of fertility, the two diametrically opposite entities to maintain equilibrium in the universe. Therefore, the temples are well-decorated with flowers. Devotees take part in a procession in the name of ‘Bhole Baba Ki Baraat’. On the night of marriage, Lord Shiva was accompanied by a diverse retinue of gods, goddesses, ghosts, goblins, demons, and animals. Therefore, unmarried girls observe fasting and keep a vigil on the night yearning for a husband like Lord Shiva. The\ couple of Shiva and Parvati is regarded to be the paradigm of conjugal love and bonding. Besides, In Kashmir, every girl is considered a Parvati and is wedded to Shiva on this auspicious night.

Shiva’s Birthday: According to Shiva Purana when Brahma and Vishnu were entangled in a fight over their claims of superiority, Lord Shiva manifested and assumed the form of a huge column of fire in between them to prove their diminutiveness and belittle their false conceit. Brahma and Vishnu assuming the forms of Swan and Varaha (bore) went upward and downward to reach the end of the fire column in futility. At last, both of them realized their mistakes with the intervention of Lord Shiva. Therefore, the day is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Shiva.

Hunter Episode: Another popular legend tells the story of a hunter. The hunter, finding no game for sustenance, spent the night on the bough of a Bel (wood-apple) tree in a wood to protect himself from fierce animals. The hunter started throwing leaves off the tree to keep himself awake. Unwittingly, the leaves were falling on a Shiva Linga on the ground under the tree. Lord Shiva, satisfied with the hunter’s perseverance, appeared before him and blessed him with divine knowledge. The day of Shiva Ratri commemorates that night vigil of the hunter.

Holy Ablution: When King Bhagirath, one of the grandchildren of King Sagar, after austere penance entreated Ganga to flow down on the earth with full force for the salvation of the souls of his 60,000 ancestors, Lord Shiva entangled her in her matted locks and released her on to Earth. Earth was saved from the powerful meandering of Ganga. Ganga became an attribute of Lord Shiva. Therefore, there is a popular custom of holy ablution of Shiva Linga on the Shivaratri festival.

Major Venues: Maha Shivaratri is celebrated in different cultures and regions in different ways. In Kashmir, the celebration is popularly known as “Herath” which is derived from the Sanskrit “Hararatri”. Hara is another name for Lord Shiva. The celebration is observed in Annamalaiyar temple in Tamil Nadu with pomp and gaiety. Devotees undertake an arduous 14-km barefoot walk which is called Girivalam or Giri Pradakshina around Shiva’s temple situated on a hilltop. Varanasi and Somanatha Shiva temples become major attractions where the devotees throng to witness Jyotirlinga. The Mandi fair in Himachal Pradesh and Tarakeswar in West Bengal are particularly remarkable venues for Maha Shivaratri. On the occasion of Maha Shivaratri, more than 200 gods and goddesses are assembled on the banks of the river Beas. Besides, Maha Shivaratri in many famous temples including Konark, Chidambaram, Modhera Pattadakal, and Khajuraho Lord’s dances like Tandava and Lasya is performed by classical dancers in reverence of Shiva.

Shiva Ratri Outside India: The festival of Shivaratri even transcends the boundary of our country. In Nepal, the day is granted as a national holiday. The celebration is widely observed all over the country. Cultural programs on classical music and dance are arranged throughout the night. Even in the Umorkot Shiva Mandir, the three-day festival attended by lakhs of Hindus is considered one of the biggest festivals in the country. In Indo-Caribbean communities, Maha Shivaratri is observed by the Hindu Diasporas from the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Ganga Talao, a crater-lake in Mauritius, is considered a holy pilgrimage thronged by the Hindus on the occasion of Maha Shivaratri.

Shivaratri Rituals: Elaborate rituals are observed with sincerity and devotion by the devotees of Lord Shiva on the occasion of the Shivaratri festival. They fast even without drinking water to quench their thirst throughout the day and till the next day morning.

Ritual baths of Shiva Linga in Shiva temples are believed to absolve the devotees from sins committed by them in the past. According to Shiva Purana Shiva Linga must be given a special bath with milk, honey, sandalwood paste, coconut water, rose water, etc along with bel leaves every three hours with the chanting of the popular mantra “Om Namah Shibaya”. Both men and women observe the rituals equally. Devotees wake up early in the morning on the auspicious day of Maha Shivaratri to take a holy sunrise bath. After prayer to Sun God, Vishnu, and Lord Shiva, they wear new clothes and visit Shiva temples to give the customary bath to the Shiva Linga. The name of the festival itself implies night vigil in the name of Lord Shiva. Therefore, devotees stay awake all night singing hymns and verses hailing Shiva. Burning incense sticks and lighting the lamp on that auspicious night bring both material wealth and divine knowledge.

Fruits and Flowers Offered: During nightlong prayer vigil Lord Shiva is offered special prasadam prepared from seasonal fruits, root vegetables, and coconut. According to Vamana Purana, when Lord Shiva drank the poison, the Dhatura flower appeared from his chest. Therefore, Dhatura is the favorite flower of Shiva. The flower is offered the worship of Lord Shiva to get rid of the poison of ego, rivalry, and hatred. Akand is another flower offered during Shiva Puja. But ketaki flower is strictly prohibited in Shiva Puja.

The grace of the Lord: During the pandemic situation public entry to the temples that attract a lot of devotees was barred during major festivals. Fortunately, by the grace of Lord Shiva, the pandemic has been erased from the face of the earth encouraging temple authorities and administrations to open the doors of shrines and hold religious events. Therefore, Shivaratri is expected to be observed with full enthusiasm.

References:

1. Shiva Purana
2. 9 Interesting Lord Shiva Stories for Kids by Harshita Makvana in Mom Junction on Nov 28, 2022
3. Shiva Stories in the Art of Living
4. Lord Shiva – The Lord of Transformation in Rudra Centre
5. Lord Shiva Stories – The Most Popular and Fascination Shiva Stories by Temple Purohit on May 28, 2021

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