Maha Shivratri 2023

By Admin 762 0 Comments Feb 04, 2023

Maha Shivratri is one of the most important festivals of Hindus, and all the Hindu devotees celebrate it yearly. In 2023 Maha Shivratri will be celebrated on the 18^th of February.

The Hindu community celebrates Maha Shivratri to worship Lord Shiva. It is said that Every year the fourteenth day of every lunar month or a day before the full moon is known as Shivratri, and it is also said that on that night, Lord Shiva performs Tandav and marries to shakti. Maha Shivratri usually occurs in February or in March. According to history, Shivratri is the darkest night of the month. Maha Shivratri almost seems like a celebration of darkness. But mostly, people believe that Shivratri means celebrating the marriage of Shiva and Shakti.

Both Shiva and Parvati are symbols of love, power, and togetherness. The story tells us how Lord Shiva got married a second time to Shakti, his divine consort. According to the legend of Shiva and Shakti, the day Lord Shiva got married to Parvati is celebrated as Shivaratri – the Night of Lord Shiva. Mahashivratri signifies love, passion, and togetherness in married life. Shiva and Shakti are two forms of one energy, and it is only together that they stand completely powerful.

Maha Shivratri Puja Vidhi

The auspicious puja of this day is performed during the Nishtita Kaal. Those performing the rituals must take a bath and adorn clean clothes followed by performing the below-mentioned vidhi to seek the blessings of the lord:

Sit in a peaceful place and meditate to align yourself with the high power.
Place the idol of Lord Shiva or the Shiva lingam on a wooden platform or chowki.
Cover it with a fresh white cloth.
Light an oil lamp to the right of the chowki.
Begin the puja by sprinkling some water on the feet of the lord.
Offer an arghya to the idol.
Perform achamana which is pouring water into the palm of your right hand and consuming it.
Perform an Abhishek of the idol using Ganga Jal, milk, curd, and honey.
Cover the idol in clean white clothes.
Offer a kalava or sacred thread to the idol.
Offer a janeu and some akshat to the idol.
Smear some sandalwood paste and perfume on the idol.
Offer dhatura, bel Patra, fruits, and flowers to the idol.
Light incense sticks or dhoop.
Offer bhog or Naivedhya that is prepared using a satvic recipe to the lord.
Perform parikrama starting by turning to your left.
Perform the puja aarti and end by performing pushpanjali.

How is Maha Shivratri celebrated in different parts of the country?

Being the biggest festival for the devotees of Shiva, Maha Shivratri’s 2023 date is celebrated with fervor in different parts of the country. Let us have a look at how some of the prominent states in the country celebrate this day:

Madhya Pradesh: Devotees line up to take a bath in the famous Shiv Sagar tank in the Khajuraho region of Madhya Pradesh on this day. Similarly, the Matangeshwar Temple in Bundelkhand sees a huge crowd of worshippers on this day.
Karnataka: Sri Shidlingappa′s “Mela” is organized on this auspicious day. It is a marker of festivities in the state of Karnataka. On this day, the devotees take the idol of the Lord in a palanquin to the river.
West Bengal: Devotees make four shiva lingams out of the sand and each is bathed with milk, curd, ghee, and honey respectively.
Himachal Pradesh: On this day, a Shobha Yatra is organized by the state and its royal family. The famous Bhutnath temple in Mandi holds the biggest Shivaratri Puja in the nation. An eight-day-long fair is also organized to mark the festivities.
Jammu and Kashmir: Spread over 21 days, this festival is celebrated by taking two pots and filling them up with pecan nuts and water. Each pot represents Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. On the third day, the contents of the pots are taken out and distributed as prasad.

Look at a list of places to visit in India during the time of Maha Shivratri

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

Varanasi is the choicest place to visit for this merry season since it has many Shiva temples wherein the Shivaratri is appreciated remarkably. People from all over the world hasten during this time of the year and perform many rituals by starving.

Some of the prominent temples in this place are Kashi Vishwanath temple, Dashashwamedh Ghats, and Sankar Mochan Hanuman Temple. The beauty of this festival is that in praise of God, the wedding procession of Shiva is organized grandly at these temples where a lot of people play the roles of gods and goddesses. This starts in the early morning followed by a parade where a huge crowd joins. After the procession, loud music is played to commemorate the festival with a finishing dance.

Haridwar

Another important place to visit for Maha Shivaratri is primarily known for its temples and Ghats where pilgrims get rid of their sins washed away by submerging in here.

Mandi, Himachal Pradesh

Bhootnath Temple in Himachal takes the greatest pride in celebrating Maha Shivaratri splendidly in the country. An International Mandi Shivaratri fair is conducted every year during this time that lasts for a week or so. This is the key attraction for many tourists not only from India but also from abroad as it would be very exciting.

Srikalahasti, Andhra Pradesh

The Hindu festival Maha Shivaratri is celebrated with so much zeal in Andhra. Devotees rush to this state to visit the Shiva temples namely Sri Kalahateswara Temple at Srikalahasti and the Bharamarambha Malikarjunaswamy Temple at Srisailam. Fasting is followed by the devotees in a way to pay tribute to the deity Lord Shiva to make the festival more auspicious. Sri Subramanya Swamy temple is also located close to these temples that esteem the festival with many rituals and prayers by the large crowd of devotees gathered here.

Srisailam

Srisailam is an excellent hill town located in a natural space on the banks of River Krishna in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. The place is well-known for the Jyotirlinga temple, a wildlife sanctuary, and a dam. The festive celebrations in the temple exhibit the rich heritage of Indian culture which must be treasured for a lifetime. Malikarjuna Swamy temple and Pathala Ganga are must-see places in Srisailam that will give you some delightful memories for life.

Guwahati

The Umananda Temple in the northeast of Assam is the heart of Maha Shivaratri celebrations where devotees keep on coming now and then to seek blessings from Lord Shiva. Sibsagar, the capital of the Ahom Kings, is a notable place in Assam that draws many people from all over the world to visit Maha Shivaratri. A few other popular temples in Assam include Kamakhya Temple and Assam State Museum which possess the rich treasures of the state that are a visual treat to tourists.

Sivasagar

Sivasagar is a state in Assam that offers several tourist attractions related to culture and heritage. Sivasagar is in Sibsagar and, many devotees come here to participate in the special pooja that is arranged on the day of Shivaratri to seek abundant blessings from Lord Shiva.

Khajuraho

This unique place in Madhya Pradesh is famous for observing the Shivaratri festival vigorously with religious ardor. As a custom, people in Madhya Pradesh make it a point to take a holy bath in the Sagar Tank in Khajuraho. Followers come in with so much positive energy to worship Lord Shiva at the Matangeshwar Temple by chanting mantras and slogans throughout the night.

Ujjain

Ujjain is the biggest city in India that embraces the festival of Shivaratri so magnificently with complete grace. The city is one of the four sites for the Kumbha Mela, the largest gathering on earth that invites millions of crowds to the celebration of this renowned festival. You will feel the good vibes when you happen to visit this place to glorify the festival that is observed as an honor of paying respect to the divine god, Lord Shiva. The popular Mahakaleswar temple is in Ujjain.

Puri

Sri Lokanath Temple in Puri is famous for the Maha Shivaratri celebration that attracts a huge crowd to the place. The highlight of this place is the lingam that is kept submerged in a vat of water throughout the year. This lingam can be seen only on Pankodhar Ekadasi, which is the day before Shivaratri during which the water is removed from the vat. Many followers consider this as a special moment and, come to get live darshan from the lingam.