Maha Shivratri: The Night of Shiva
Maha
Shivratri, the night of the worship of Shiva, occurs on the 14th night of the
new moon during the dark half of the month of Phalguna. It falls on a
moonless February night, when Hindus offer special prayer to the lord of destruction.
Shivratri (Sanskrit 'ratri' = night) is the night when he is said to have performed
the Tandava Nritya or the dance of primordial creation, preservation
and destruction. The festival is observed for one day and one night only.
Origin
Of Shivratri
According to the
Puranas, during the great mythical churning of the ocean
called
Samudra Manthan, a pot of poison emerged from the ocean. The gods
and the demons were terrified as it could destroy the entire world. When they
ran to Shiva for help, he in order to protect the world, drank the deadly poison
but held it in his throat instead of swallowing it. This turned his throat blue,
and since then he came to be known as
Nilkantha, the blue-throated one.
Shivratri celebrates this event by which Shiva saved the world.
A
Festival Especially For Women
Shivratri is considered especially auspicious for women. Married women pray
for the well being of their husbands and sons, while unmarried women pray for
an ideal husband like Shiva, who is the spouse of Kali, Parvati and Durga. But
generally it is believed that anyone who utters the name of Shiva during Shivratri
with pure devotion is freed from all sins. He or she reaches the abode of Shiva
and is liberated from the cycle of birth and death.
Shiva
Rituals
On the day of Shivratri, a three-tiered platform is built around a fire. The
topmost plank represents
swargaloka (heaven), the middle one
antarikshaloka
(space) and the bottom one
bhuloka (earth). Eleven urns or
kalash,
are kept on the
swargaloka plank symbolising the eleven manifestations
of the
Rudra Shiva. These are decorated with
bilva (woodapple
leaves) and mango leaves atop a coconut representing the head of Shiva. The
uncut shank of the coconut symbolises his tangled hair and the three spots on
the fruit Shiva's three eyes.
Bathing
The Phallus
The phallus symbol representing Shiva is called the
lingam. It is usually
made of granite, soapstone, quartz, marble or metal, and has a
yoni or
vagina as its base representing the union of the male and female sexual organs.
Devotees circumambulate the
lingam and worship it throughout the night.
It is bathed every three hours with the five sacred offerings of a cow, called
the
panchagavya - milk, sour milk, urine, butter and dung. Then the five
foods of immortality - milk, clarified butter, curd, honey and sugar are placed
before the
lingam. Dhatura and jati, though poisonous fruits, are believed
to be sacred to Shiva and thus offered to him.
"Om
Namah Shivaya!"
All through the day the devotees keep severe fast, chant the sacred
Panchakshara
mantra "
Om Namah Shivaya", make offerings of flowers and
incense to the Lord amidst ringing of temple bells. They maintain long vigils
during the night, keeping awake to listen to stories, hymns and songs. The fast
is broken only the next morning, after the nightlong worship. In Kashmir, the
festival is held for 15 days. The 13th day is observed as a day of fast followed
by a family feast.
