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Maha Shivaratri (“Great Night of Shiva”) is a prominent Hindu festival held on the 14th night of the waning moon in Phalguna or Magha (February-March) to commemorate Shiva and Parvati’s wedding or his cosmic dance. Among all the twelve Shivratris that occur in a calendar year, Mahashivratri, the one that occurs in February-March is of the most spiritual significance. Devotees fast, sing “Om Namah Shivaya,” and hold nightly vigils to offer milk and bael leaves to the Lingam.
Maha Shivaratri is a celebration that honors Lord Shiva and translates literally as “The Great Night of Shiva.” Worship services are held all day, however the biggest pujas take place once in the evening or four times throughout the night. The festival represents various major events for believers. Shivaratri commemorates Lord Shiva’s wedding night with his spouse Parvati. As a result, it is a festival that is particularly popular among married couples. During this night, Lord Shiva, as Nataraja, the Lord of the Dance, first performed the Dance of Bliss, the “Anandatandava”.
This dance depicts the universe’s cyclical existence, which is reflected in the cyclical pattern of daily life as experienced by individuals. The Linga Purana further states that on this day, Shiva assumed the form of the Lingam, a column of light with no beginning or end to represent His endless existence. Swami Chinmayananda, most likely referring to the Shivalingam, associated Shivaratri with “moments of pure infinite subjective experience” and worship of Shiva on this day as a means of obtaining a state of transcendent awareness.
Mythology
Maha Shivaratri derives from Hindu mythology, with numerous traditions explaining its cosmological and spiritual significance. Like many Hindu holidays, it is associated with a variety of narratives, reflecting the tradition’s receptivity to diverse truths. The emphasis is on devotion and worship rather than a single, conclusive story.
Marriage of Shiva and Parvati: According to the Shiva Purana, a historic Hindu literature, Maha Shivaratri honors the divine marriage of Shiva, connected with consciousness, and the Hindu goddess Parvati, who represents Shakti (energy), a major idea in Shaivism.
Emergence of the Shiva lingam: The Linga Purana associates the event with lingodbhava (the emerging of the lingam), which represents Shiva’s formless and boundless nature. This manifestation is linked to the Jyotirlingas, sacred shrines dedicated to Shiva throughout India that represent his limitless nature as a column of light. It is said that individuals who worship the lingam on this night would gain spiritual blessings and go closer to reaching moksha (“liberation”).
Samudra Manthana: Legend has it that during the Samudra Manthana (churning of the ocean of milk), the devas (gods) and asuras (demons) sought amrita (an elixir of immortality). The technique also produced other things, notably the lethal toxin halahala. To save creation, Shiva ingested the poison and held it in his throat. This gesture is honored at Maha Shivaratri, which celebrates Shiva as the universe’s guardian.
Tripurantaka and Nataraja: The event honours Shiva as Tripurantaka, the slayer of Tripura, the three walled cities governed by the asura brothers Tarakaksha, Kamalaksha, and Vidyunmali. Brahma bestowed a gift upon the moving cities, allowing them to be destroyed only once every thousand years when they align. When the time came, Shiva fired a single arrow, eliminating them and signifying the victory of good over evil. The festival also honors Shiva as Nataraja, the cosmic dancer, performing a fierce dance called the tandava that drives the cycles of creation, preservation, and destruction.
Rituals and practices
Devotees begin with a purifying bath, followed by fasting, which often consists of only fruits, milk, and nuts. Bilva (wood apple tree) leaves, flowers, and lights are used to decorate homes and temples. The principal ceremony, abhishekam (ceremonial bathing of the Shiva lingam), is carried out with water, milk, honey, yogurt, and ghee (clarified butter), as well as offerings of bilva leaves and fruits. Devotees repeat the mantra “Om Namaḥ Shivaya” (“Obeisance to Shiva”) and recite songs from the Shiva Purana. The jagaran (“night vigil”) is an important tradition in which the night is split into char prahar (“four parts”) and prayers are said in each. Some followers keep an oil lamp lit as a symbol of inner awareness, while others meditate. The fast is broken the next morning with a simple meal after prayers, marking the completion of the observance.
Celebrations
Maha Shivaratri is celebrated throughout India with unique ceremonies that reflect local traditions. The Brahmin community of Kashmiri Pandits (a Hindu Brahmin community from the Kashmir region) celebrates it as Herath, with special customs such as soaking walnuts in water to be presented as prasada. In Himachal Pradesh, the Mandi Shivaratri fair at Bhutnath Temple features cultural acts as well as a traditional royal procession. The Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, attracts lakhs of people on this day. They wash in the Ganges River, chanting “Har har Mahadev” (“Hail Shiva”). The Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, performs the bhasma (“ashes”) aarti, which involves anointing the idol with sacred ash at dawn.
Devotees at Tarakeswar Temple in West Bengal throw Ganga jal (Ganges water) to the Shiva lingam as part of their nightly prayers. In Odisha, enormous crowds congregate to Bhubaneswar’s Lingaraj Temple during abhishekam. Gujarat’s Bhavnath Mahadev Temple near Girnar Hills organizes a five-day fair during which Naga Sadhus (a sect of Hindu ascetics) lead processions and perform religious rites. The Somnath Temple, one of the Jyotirlingas, also hosts elaborate festivities. Devotees of Tamil Nadu’s Arulmigu Annamalaiyar Temple in Tiruvannamalai participate in girivalam, a barefoot walk around Arunachala Hill that lasts 9 miles (14 kilometers). In Karnataka, prayers are conducted at Murudeshwar Temple, which houses a towering Shiva statue, while the Lingayat sect holds a mass worship of Ishtalinga (a miniature lingam). In Kerala, Aluva Manappuram, a length of riverfront along the Periyar river, hosts cultural programs.
Hindu communities around the world celebrate Maha Shivaratri. Thousands congregate at Nepal’s Pashupatinath Temple, while Bangladesh’s Chandranath Dham, Sri Lankan temples, and Tamil communities in Malaysia and Singapore hold lively ceremonies. In Africa, massive processions take place around Ganga Talao in Mauritius. Major celebrations take place in North American cities such as New York, Chicago, and Toronto, while massive gatherings in Australia and Fiji are marked by prayers and cultural events.
