Maha Shivaratri
Maha Shivratri is predominantly a Hindu festival, celebrated annually in honour of Lord Shiva, the God of destruction. ... Maha Shivratri, literally translates as 'the great night of Shiva' and according to legend, it is on this night that Lord Shiva performs his heavenly dance or 'tandav'.
Maha Shivaratri (IAST: Mahāśivarātri) is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva. The name also refers to the night when Lord Shiva performs the heavenly dance.
A Festival of Contemplation -
During the Vigil Night of Shiva, Mahashivaratri, we
are brought to the moment of interval between destruction and regeneration; it
symbolizes the night when we must contemplate on that which watches the growth
out of the decay. During Mahashivaratri we have to be alone with our sword, the
Shiva out of us. We have to look behind and before, to see what evil needs
eradicating from our heart, what growth of virtue we need to encourage. Shiva
is not only outside of us but within us. To unite ourselves with the One Self is
to recognize the Shiva in us.
—The Theosophical Movement, Volume 72
Maha Shivaratri
Maha
Shivaratri (IAST: Mahāśivarātri) is a Hindu
festival celebrated annually in honour of the god Shiva. The name
also refers to the night when Lord Shiva performs the heavenly dance.
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Maha Shivaratri |
|
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Observed by |
Hindus |
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Type |
Religious |
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Significance |
Self study, Night of marriage between Shiva and Parvati, yoga |
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Observances |
Fasting, yoga, jagran (All
night vigil), Lingam puja |
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Date |
māgha māsa (amānta)
/ phālguna māsa (purnimānta),
kṛṣṇa pakṣa, caturdaśī tithi |
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Frequency |
Annual |
In every month of the luni-solar Hindu calendar, there is a Shivaratri – "night of Shiva" – on the day before new moon. But once a year, in late winter and before the arrival of Summer (February/March), this night is called "Maha Shivaratri" – "the Great Night of Shiva". This day falls in the month of Phalguna as per the North Indian Hindu calendar and in Magha as per the South Indian Hindu calendar. (See Amanta and Purnimanta systems).
It is a major festival in Hinduism, and this festival is solemn and marks a remembrance of "overcoming darkness and ignorance" in life and the world. It is observed by remembering Lord Shiva and chanting prayers, fasting, and meditating on ethics and virtues such as honesty, non-injury to others, charity, forgiveness, and the discovery of Lord Shiva. Ardent devotees keep awake all night. Others visit one of the Shiva temples or go on pilgrimage to Jyotirlingams. The festival originated in circa the 5th century CE. According to the South Indian calendar, Maha Shivaratri is observed on Chaturdashi Tithi during Krishna Paksha in the month of Magha, and in other parts of India, on 13/14 night of Krishna Paksha in Phalguna of Hindu calendar, the Gregorian date however remaining the same.
In Kashmir Shaivism, the festival is called Har-ratri or phonetically simpler Haerath or Herath by Shiva devotees of the Kashmir region.
Description
Maha
Shivaratri is an annual festival dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, and is
particularly important in the Shaivism tradition of Hinduism.
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.
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 to Shiva are made, 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 mantra of Shiva, is chanted through the day. Devotees
praise Shiva through the recitation of Shiv Chalisa.
Maha Shivaratri is celebrated over three or ten days based on the Hindu luni-solar calendar. Every lunar month, there is a Shivaratri (12 per year). The main festival is called Maha Shivaratri, or great Shivaratri, which is held on 13th night (waning moon) and 14th day of the month Phalguna. In the Gregorian calendar, the day falls in either February or March.
History and Significance
The
Maha Shivaratri is mentioned in several Puranas, particularly the Skanda
Purana, Linga Purana and Padma Purana. These
medieval eras Shaiva texts present different versions associated with this
festival, & mention fasting, reverence for icons of Shiva such as
the Lingam.
Different
legends describe the significance of Maha Shivaratri. According to one legend
in the Shaivism tradition, this is the night when Shiva performs the heavenly
dance of creation, preservation and destruction. The chanting of hymns,
the reading of Shiva scriptures and the chorus of devotees joins this cosmic
dance and remembers Shiva's presence everywhere. According to another legend,
this is the night when Shiva and Parvati got married. A different legend
states the offering to Shiva icons such as the linga is an annual occasion to
get over past sins if any, to restart on a virtuous path and thereby
reach Mount Kailasha and liberation.
The significance of dance tradition to this festival has historical roots. The Maha Shivaratri has served as a historic confluence of artists for annual dance festivals at major Hindu temples such as at Konark, Khajuraho, Pattadakal, Modhera and Chidambaram. This event is called Natyanjali, literally "worship through dance", at the Chidambaram temple which is famous for its sculpture depicting all dance mudras in the ancient Hindu text of performance arts called Natya Shastra. Similarly, at Khajuraho Shiva temples, a major fair and dance festival on Maha Shivaratri, involving Shaiva pilgrims camped over miles around the temple complex, was documented by Alexander Cunningham in 1864.
India
Maha
Shivaratri is celebrated in Tamil Nadu with great pomp and fanfare in
the Annamalaiyar temple located in Tiruvannamalai district.
The special process of worship on this day is 'Girivalam'/Giri Pradakshina, a
14-kilometer bare foot walk around Lord Shiva's temple on top of the hill. A
huge lamp of oil and camphor is lit on the hilltop at sunset - not to
be confused with Karthigai Deepam.
The
major Jyotirlinga Shiva temples of India, such as
in Varanasi and Somanatha, are particularly frequented on Maha
Shivaratri. They serve also as sites for fairs and special events.
In Andhra
Pradesh and Telangana, Shivratri yatras are held at Mallayya gutta
near Kambhalapalle, Gundlakamma Kona near Railway
Koduru, Penchalakona, Bhairavakona, Uma Maheswaram amongst
others. Special pujas are held at Pancharamas - Amararamam of Amaravati,
Somaramam of Bhimavaram, Draksharamam, Kumararama
of Samarlakota and Ksheerarama of Palakollu. The days immediately
after Shivratri are celebrated as Brahmotsavaalu at Srisailam, one of 12
Jyotirlinga sites. Mahashivaratri utsavalu are held at the Rudreshwara Swamy's
1000 pillar temple in Warangal. Devotees throng for the special poojas
at Srikalahasti, Mahanandi, Yaganti, Antarvedi, Kattamanchi, Pattiseema, Bhairavakona, Hanamkonda, Keesaragutta, Vemulawada, Panagal,
and Kolanupaka amongst others.
The
Mandi fair is in the town of Mandi is particularly famous as a venue
for Maha Shivaratri celebrations. It transforms the town as devotees pour in.
It is believed that all gods and goddesses of the area, said to number more
than 200, assemble here on the day of Maha Shivaratri. Mandi, located on the
banks of Beas, is popularly known as the "Cathedral of Temples"
and one of the oldest towns of Himachal Pradesh, with about 81 temples of
different Gods and Goddesses on its periphery.
In Kashmir
Shaivism, Maha Shivaratri is celebrated by
the Hindus of Kashmir and is called, "Herath" in
Kashmiri, a word derived from the Sanskrit word "Hararatri" the
"Night of Hara" (another name of Shiva). Shivaratri, regarded as
the most important festival of the community, for instance, is celebrated by
them on trayodashi or the thirteenth of the dark half of the month of Phalguna
(February–March) and not on chaturdashi or the fourteenth as in the rest of the
country. The reason for it is that this long drawn festival that is celebrated
for one full fortnight as an elaborate ritual is associated with the appearance
of Bhairava (Shiva) as a jwala-linga or a linga of flame. It has been
described as Bhairavotsava in Tantric texts as on this occasion Bhairava
and Bhairavi, His Shakti or cosmic energy, are propitiated through Tantric
worship.
According
to the legend associated with the origin of the worship, the linga appeared at
pradoshakala or the dusk of early night as a blazing column of fire and dazzled
Vatuka Bhairava and Rama (or Ramana) Bhairava, Mahadevi's mind-born sons, who
approached it to discover its beginning or end but miserably failed.
Exasperated and terrified they began to sing its praises and went to Mahadevi,
who herself merged with the awe-inspiring jwala-linga. The Goddess blessed both
Vatuka and Ramana that they would be worshipped by human beings and would
receive their share of sacrificial offerings on that day and those who would
worship them would have all their wishes fulfilled. As Vatuka Bhairava emerged
from a pitcher full of water after Mahadevi cast a glance into it, fully armed
with all his weapons (and so did Rama), he is represented by a pitcher full of
water in which walnuts are kept for soaking and worshipped along with Shiva,
Parvati, Kumara, Ganesha, their ganas or attendant deities, yoginis and
kshetrapalas (guardians of the quarters) – all represented by clay images. The
soaked walnuts are later distributed as naivedya. The ceremony is called 'vatuk
barun' in Kashmiri, which means filling the pitcher of water representing the
Vatuka Bhairava with walnuts and worshipping it.
Central
India has a large number of Shaiva followers. The Mahakaleshwar Temple, Ujjain is
one of the most venerated shrines consecrated to Shiva, where a large
congregation of devotees gathers to offer prayers on the day of Maha
Shivaratri. Tilwara Ghat in the city of Jabalpur and the Math Temple
in the village of Jeonara, Seoni are two other places where the
festival is celebrated with much religious fervour.
In Punjab,
Shobha Yatras would be organised by various Hindu organisations in different
cities. It is a grand festival for Punjabi Hindus.
In Gujarat,
Maha Shivaratri mela is held
at Bhavnath near Junagadh where bathing in the Mrugi
(Mrigi) kund is considered holy. According to myth, Lord Shiva himself comes to
bath in the Mrugi kund.
In West
Bengal, Maha Shivaratri is observed devoutly by unmarried girls seeking a
suitable husband, often visiting Tarakeswar.
In
Odisha, Maha Shivaratri is also known as Jagara. People fast for
their wishes whole day and take food after 'Mahadipa' (The great diya) rises at
the top of Shiva temple. It usually is held during midnight. Unmarried girls
also worship for seeking a suitable husband.
Special
anointings and worships were performed at the Karuvadikkuppam Kurusithananda
Temple in Pondicherry on the eve of Maha Shivaratri with various items
including milk and sandalwood for the Shivalingam. Also, a Natyanjali was held
at the temple premises.
Stories and Beliefs
There
are several stories and beliefs associated with this auspicious event.
Samudra Manthan
It is believed that on this particular day Lord Shiva gulped the Halahala produced during Samudra manthan and beheld it in his neck which bruised and turned blue, after which he was named as Neel Kanth. It is also believed that the famous Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is the place where this incident took place.
Nepal
Maha Shivaratri is a national Holiday in Nepal and celebrated widely in temples all over the country, especially in the Pashupatinath temple. Thousands of devotees visit the famous Shiva Shakti Peetham nearby as well. Holy rituals are performed all over the nation. Maha Shivaratri is celebrated as Nepali Army Day amid a spectacular ceremony held at the Army Pavilion, Tundikhel. Artists from various classical music and dance forms perform through the night. On Maha Shivaratri, married women pray for the well being of their husbands, while unmarried women pray for a husband like Shiva, considered as the ideal husband. Shiva is also worshipped as the Adi Guru (first teacher) from whom the divine wisdom originates.
Pakistan
Hindus
in Pakistan visit Shiva temples during Shivratri. The most important is the
three-day Shivratri festival in the Umarkot Shiv Mandir. It is one of the
biggest religious festivals in the country. It is attended by around 250,000
people. All the expenses were borne by the Pakistan Hindu Panchayat. Shivrathri
Celebrations also occur in the Churrio Jabal Durga Mata Temple, which is
attended by 200,000 pilgrims. Hindus cremate the dead and ashes are preserved
till Shivratri for immersion into the holy water in Churrio Jabal Durga
Mata Temple.
Another major temple where Shivratri is celebrated is the Shree Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple in Karachi whose Shivratri festival is attended by 25,000 people. On the Shivratri night, Hindus in Karachi fast and visit the temple. Later, devotees from the Chanesar Goth come to the temple carrying water from the Holy Ganges, in order to bathe the idol of Shiva. Puja is performed until 5 am, when an aarti is then done. Devotees then walk barefoot with women carrying a pooja thali containing flowers, incense sticks, rice, coconut and a diya to the sea after which they are free to break their fast. Later they eat food prepared in the temple kitchen for breakfast.
Outside South Asia
Maha Shivaratri is the main Hindu festival among the Hindu diaspora from the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. In Indo-Caribbean communities, thousands of Hindus spend the beautiful night in over four hundred temples across multiple countries, offering special jhalls (an offering of milk and curd, flowers, sugarcane and sweets) to Lord Shiva. In Mauritius, Hindus go on pilgrimage to Ganga Talao, a crater-lake.
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