Maha Shivratri one of the most important festivals for Hindus

By Admin 438 0 Comments Feb 14, 2024

Maha Shivratri is a vibrant occasion of faith, tradition, and spiritual awakening. The hold reminds everyone of the divine presence that transcends our existence with a renewed sense of purpose and purified spirit.

Maha Shivratri is one of the most important and auspicious festivals of Hindus. The annual festival honors Lord Shiva and his sacred union with Goddess Parvati. Shiva and Shakti together represent love, power, and unity, the fusion takes place at night. The day is celebrated by millions of devotees with temple visits, processes, and other rituals and traditions all over India.

This article will give you a quick insight into the date, history, significance, and celebration of Mahashivratri 2024

When is Mahashivaratri in 2024?

Maha Shivratri is defined as Lord Shiva's great night. It is an important event for fasting, meditation on Shiva, self-study, social harmony, and an all-night vigil at Shiva temples. According to the Hindu calendar, Maha Shivratri is observed annually on the fourteenth day of the dark (waning) half of the lunar month of Phalguna or Magha. This year, the day falls on the Gregorian calendar of March 8, 2024, Friday.

Maha Shivaratri Date	March 8, 2024
Maha Shivaratri Day	Friday
Chaturdashi Tithi Begins	21:57 on Mar 08, 2024
Chaturdashi Tithi Ends	18:17 on Mar 09, 2024
Nishita Kaal Puja Time	00:07 to 00:56, Mar 09
Ratri First Prahar Puja Time	18:25 to 21:28
Ratri Second Prahar Puja Time	21:28 to 00:31, Mar 09
Ratri Third Prahar Puja Time	00:31 to 03:34, Mar 09
Ratri Fourth Prahar Puja Time	03:34 to 06:37, Mar 09
Shivaratri Parana Time	06:37 to 15:29

Why Is Mahashivaratri Celebrated?

The origin of Maha Shivratri is found in several Puranic texts, including the Skanda, Linga, and Padma Puranic texts. Maha Shivratri is commemorated as the wedding anniversary of Goddess Parvati and Lord Shiva. Whereas, the legend of Shaivism states that Shiva performs the heavenly dance of creation, preservation, and destruction on this night.

According to the Isha SadhGuru Organisation, “Mahashivratri is very significant for people who are on the spiritual path. It is also very significant for people who are in family situations, and also for the ambitious in the world. People who live in family situations observe Mahashivratri as Shiva’s wedding anniversary. Those with worldly ambitions see that day as the day Shiva conquered all his enemies.

But, for the ascetics, it is the day he became one with Mount Kailash. He became like a mountain – still. In the yogic tradition, Shiva is not worshipped as a God, but considered as the Adi Guru, the first Guru from whom the science of Yoga originated. After many millennia in meditation, one day he became still. That day is Mahashivratri. All movement in him stopped and he became utterly still, so ascetics see Mahashivratri as the night of stillness.”

Shiva is also said to have ingested the halahala (poison) that evolved during the Samudra Manthana and held it around his neck to protect the gods and humanity on this specific day. Since then, celebrations of Maha Shivratri began to honor the one who saved life.

How Is Mahashivaratri Celebrated Every Year?

Mahashivratri, the day to honor and celebrate Lord Shiva originated in the 5th century. It is a notable festival in Hinduism, marking the importance of "overcoming darkness and ignorance" in life and the world. It is celebrated by worshipping Shiva, chanting prayers, fasting, and meditation. The day focuses on virtues such as honesty, non-violence, charity, forgiveness, and the discovery of Shiva. Also, the celebration by ardent devotees of Shiva includes maintaining a Jagaran, an all-night vigil, and a visit to Jyotirlingams.

Annual dance festivals are organised on the occasion of the Maha Shivratri at prominent Hindu temples like Konark, Khajuraho, Pattadakal, Modhera, and Chidambaram. This event is called Natyanjali, which means "worship through dance."

In conclusion, Mahashivatri is an opportunity to acknowledge the vast emptiness and reconnect with the creator spiritually. It is a night of wakefulness and awakenings, a night to receive incredible vision, compassion, and vision. May the essence of Maha Shivratri continue to inspire and uplift hearts, fostering a sense of unity, peace, and transcendence in the hearts of all who celebrate this sacred occasion.

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 havetened 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 from India and 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.