On this day, the great night of the Lord Shiva,
devotees stay awake
throughout the night offering prayers to Lord Shiva. They offer special
food made from the fruits of the season, root vegetables and coconut to
the Lord. Special celebrations are held in some of the major Shiva temples
at Varanasi, Kalahasti (Andhra Pradesh) and Chidambaram (Tamil Nadu).
This is an important day for the devotees of Shiva, who stay awake
throughout the night, praying to him. In all major centers of Shiva
worship, Shivratri, also called Maha Shivratri, is a grand occasion. From
the very early morning, Shiva temples are filled with devotees, mostly
women, who come to perform the traditional worship of the Shivalinga.
All through the day, devotees abstain from eating food and break
their fast only the next morning, after the nightlong worship. The day is
considered especially auspicious for women. Married women pray for the
well being of their husbands and sons, while unmarried women pray for a
husband like Shiva, who is considered the ideal husband.
|
Hymns in praise of Lord Shiva are sung with great fervor and
devotion. People repeat the Panchakshara Mantra, Om Namah Shivaya.
It is believed that one who utters the name of Shiva during
Shivratri with proper devotion is freed from all sins. He reaches
the abode of Shiva and lives happily there. He is liberated from the
cycle of birth and death. Many pilgrims flock to the places where
there are Shiva temples.
Shiva being an ascetic god, Maha Shivratri is very popular with
ascetics. Thandai, a drink made with cannabis, almonds, and milk, is
essentially drunk by the devout. This is so because cannabis is said
to have been very dear to Shiva. The Puranas contain many stories
and legends describing the origin of this festival.
|
According to one, during the Samudra Manthan, 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 deadly poison but
held it in his throat instead of swallowing it. Because of it, his throat
turned blue, and he was given the name Nilkantha, the blue-throated one.
Shivratri is the celebration of this event by which Shiva saved the
world.omposed By Pandit Jay Chandra Jha
views@mithilalive.com
|
