Maha Shivaratri 21st February 2020 : After 59 years special

MAHA SHIVARATRI HINDU FESTIVAL

• Maha Shivaratri is a Hindu festival celebrated annually in honour of Lord Shiva, and in particular, marks the day of the consummation of marriage of Shiva. There is a Shivaratri in every luni-solar month of the Hindu calendar, on the month's 13th night/14th day, but once a year in late winter (February/March, or phalgun) and before the arrival of Summer, marks Maha Shivaratri which means "the Great Night of Shiva".

           

HAPPY MAHA SHIVARATRI

• 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 Shiva and chanting prayers, fasting, and meditating on ethics and virtues such as self-restraint, honesty, non-injury to others, forgiveness, and the discovery of Shiva.^[5] The ardent devotees keep awake all night. Others visit one of the Shiva temples or go on pilgrimage to Jyotirlingams. This is an ancient Hindu festival whose origin date is unknown.

• In Kashmir Shaivism, the festival is called Har-ratri or phonetically simpler Haerath or Herath by Shiva faithfuls of the Kashmir region.

                               

                              Basic Description

• Maha Shivaratri is celebrated over three or ten days based on the Hindu luni-solar calendar.^[4] 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.

• 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.^[9] In Shiva temples, "Om Namah Shivaya", the sacred mantra of Shiva, is chanted through the day.

MAHASHIVARATRI 2020

• Mahashivratri is one of the largest and most significant among the sacred festival nights of India. This – the darkest night of the year – celebrates the Grace of Shiva, who is considered the Adi Guru or the First Guru, from whom the yogic tradition originates. The planetary positions on this night are such that there is a powerful natural upsurge of energy in the human system. It is enormously beneficial for one’s physical and spiritual wellbeing to stay awake and aware in a vertical position throughout the night.
• Lord Shiva, one of the deities of the Hindu Trinity, is also also known by other names like Kalyankari, Baba Bholenaath,, Shiv Shankar, Shiv ji, Neel Kanth,Rudra etc .Out of all the Hindu deities, Lord Shiv Shankar is the most popular. Not only is he the king of all Gods, even the demon kings worshipped him—the most common example is of Ravana- the great Demon king of Lanka. Even today, throughout the World, the followers of Hinduism worship Lord Shiva. His popularity among His devotees is because of His simplicity and so He is often called Bhole Baba.The method of worshipping Lord Shiva is considered very simple. It is believed that if one worships Lord Shiva with sincerity, He gets pleased very soon. While worshipping Him, one need not go into intricate details. The simple process of worshipping Him includes, pouring water on the ‘Ling’, placing ‘Bel’ leaves on it and staying awake the whole night singing bhajans in His name. He is happy with just this.

• Shivratri is considered to be especially auspicious for women. Unmarried women pray for a husband as ideal as Lord Shiva, while married women pray for the well being of their husbands.

MAHA SHIVARATRI 2020

21st FEBRUARYNishita Kaal Puja Time - 24:08 to 25:00Maha Shivaratri Parana Time- 06:57 to 15:23 (22^nd February)Chaturdashi Tithi Begins - 17:20 (21^st February)Chaturdashi Tithi Ends - 19:02 (22^nd February)

• Krishna Paksh.It is believed that this day marks the wedding day of Lord Shiva and Parvati .Some also believe that Shiva had performed his famous dance of the primal creation ,preservation and destruction-the ‘Tandav Nritya’on this day. Another theory is that Shiva had manifested in the form of a ‘Ling” on this day. On the occasion of Maha Shivratri, devotees from all over, go to a source of the Holy river Ganges (preferably Haridwar) and collect the Holy water from there and walk back barefoot to their village. The water is used to bathe the Shiv Ling is in their village on the auspicious day of Maha Shivratri.

• This was the basic discription about the mahashivaratri.

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