The day Lord Shiva, the Destroyer, is believed to have married his consort Parvati, the mother goddess, Shiaivites or the followers of Lord Shiva celebrate ‘Maha Shivratri’ as a night of the worship.
According to the Hindu calendar, Maha Shivratri falls on a moonless night during the month of Phalguna in February.
During the festival, the devotees of Shiva spend the entire night in deep meditation. They observe fasts and stay awake to do "Shivling abhishekh" at midnight.
Shiva temples all over are flocked by devotees, young and old, who come to perform the traditional Shivalinga worship and hope for favours from the three-eyed God.
Shivratri is considered very important especially for women. Most married women keep a fast and pray for the prosperity of their husbands and familes while unmarried women pray in the hope of getting the perfect husband.
On the day of Shivratri, a three-tiered platform is built around a fire. The topmost plank of this platform represents 'swarga loka' or heaven, the middle one represents 'antariksha loka' or space and the one at the bottom stands for 'bhuloka' or earth.
The salutation to Shiva, ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ is chanted throughout the night alongwith other religious mantras.
As part of the rituals, devotees offer betel leaves to Lord Shiva’s idols, make offerings of flowers, burn incense and also light lamps to show their devotion.
The rituals on Maha Shivratri include bathing the Shiv Lings with water, milk, curds, ghee, coconut water and honey. The bel fruit or the wood apple is also an important offering made to Lord Shiva.
The dhatura fruit and flower are also offered to Lord Shiva and even though they are poisonous, they are believed to be a favorite with the god of death.
At midnight temple bells are rung and the devotees break their fast by partaking of Prasad or food supposedly blessed by diety. According to rituals, anyone who fast on this night and offer prayers to Lord Shiva bring good luck into their life.
Maha Shivr
