Sivaratri or Mahashivratri

Introduction

Shivaratri, or Maha Shivaratri (Night of Shiva) is a Hindu festival, celebrated all over the country with great enthusiasm.

The festival usually falls every year on the 13th night/14th day in the Krishna Paksha of the month of Maagha (as per Shalivahana) or Phalguna (as per Vikrama) in the Hindu calendar.

The festival is exclusively dedicated to Lord Shiva who is known by hundreds of names.

Maha Shivratri is the day to rejoice…to pray to the almighty for wellness. Almost all Hindus throughout the world offer prayers in the morning/evening and some observe fasting ( vrata) throughout the day. Most people visit the nearby temples of Shiva and offer prayers in large crowds.

The prayers and worship continue throughout the night and the devotees offer coconut, Bilva leaves, fruits and specially prepared sacred food to Shiva and his divine consort Parvati.

As this is a dark fortnight, devotees light candles and diyas (a lamp made usually of clay, with wick made of cotton and dipped in ghee) throughout the night – this is a symbol of spiritual manifestation.

Legend

Shiva being an ascetic god, Maha Shivratri is very popular with ascetics. Thandai- a drink made with cannabis, almonds, and milk, is essentially drunk by the devout. This is so because cannabis is said to have been very dear to Shiva. The Puranas contain many stories and legends describing the origin of this festival.

According to one, during the Samudra Manthan, a pot of poison emerged from the ocean. This terrified the gods and demons as the poison was capable of destroying the entire world and they ran to Shiva for help. To protect the world from its evil effects, Shiva drank the deadly poison but held it in his throat instead of swallowing it. Because of it, his throat turned blue and he was given the name Nilkantha- the blue-throated one. Shivratri is the celebration of this event by which Shiva saved the world.

Celebration

On this day, devotees stay awake throughout the night offering prayers to Lord Shiva. They offer special food made from the fruits of the season, root vegetables and coconut to the Lord. Special celebrations are held in some of the major Shiva temples at Varanasi, Kalahasti (Andhra Pradesh) and Chidambaram (Tamil Nadu).

This is an important day for the devotees of Shiva, who stay awake throughout the night, praying to him.

In all major centers of Shiva worship, Shivratri, also called Maha Shivratri, is a grand occasion.

From the very early morning, Shiva temples are filled with devotees, mostly women, who come to perform the traditional worship of the Shivalinga.

All throughout the day, devotees abstain from eating food and break their fast only the next morning after which the nightlong worship takes place. This day is considered especially auspicious for women.

As on this very day, married women pray for the well being of their husbands and sons, while unmarried women pray for a husband like Shiva, who is considered to fit the bill of ideal husband because ‘He’ more or less have each and every quality that a women want in her future husband.

Hymns in praise of Lord Shiva are sung with great fervor and devotion.
People repeat the Panchakshara Mantra: “Om Namah Shivaya”. It is believed that one who utters the name of Shiva during Shivratri with proper devotion is freed from all sins, he/she reaches the abode of Shiva and lives happily there and it is also believed that he/she is liberated from the cycle of birth and death.

Maha Shivratri

This festival falls on the 13th day of Krishna Paksh in the month of Falgun. Parvati Mata was married to Shivji on this day. People worship Shivji and Mata Parvati either in their homes or in the temple according to their convenience.

Preparations for the Puja

•  Panchamrut made of un-boiled milk, curds, ghee, honey and powdered sugar.
•  Roll, moli, chawal, sandalwood powder/paste, dhoop, deepak, agarbathi, karpoor, matchsticks, janeu and kacha soot (raw white thread), Gangajal Bhaang, bhasm (ash).
•  Flowers, durva (tender grass), belpatr (if possible write ’Ram’ with sandalwood paste on every leaf).
•  Aakde ke flowers (wild white and purple flowers), dhatura leaves and flowers, lotus flowers.
•  Green bel fruit, betel leaves, betel nut, cloves, cardamom.
•  Five kinds of dry fruits: almonds, cashew nuts, raisins, taalmakhana and dry coconut. Slice dry coconut finely halve the cashew and taalmakhana and mix it with almonds and raisins.
•  Sweets for prasad: this has to be non-cereal like peda, coconut barfi, laddoo, etc.
•  Thandai (a drink made from milk, almonds, elaichi).
•  Money for dakshina, Book of aartis.

Vidhi / Method of Performing the Puja

Puja is performed to the Shiv parivar Shivji, Parvati Mata, Ganeshji, Karthikeyan and Nandi

A fast is observed the whole day and one eats after the puja in the night

Some people have Pundit read the Rudra Paath

Abhishek for Shivji is performed with panchamrut

Sweets and thandai are offered as bhog

Ratrl Jaagran (staying awake at night). People stay awake through the night singing Shivji bhajans either at home or at the temple

Aarti is sung after the puja

Food for Shivratri Fast

Many people fast on this day and eat only falahaar i.e. no grains and cereals.

Wheat, rice, lentils, peas, beans, rajma, corn, chana should not be eaten. Turmeric, sesame seeds and ground red chillies are not used in cooking.

Full red and green chillies, rock salt, pepper, lime and mango powder can be used.

Suggested food for Mahashivratri fast:

• Roti made of kuttu flour or singhada (water chestnut) flour.
• (Buttermilk) kadhi with singhada flour.
• Potato curry, sweet potato chaat, paneer and aloo chaat, sago vacla, potato & kuttu atta pakodi in cords, raw banana vadaas.
• Almond halwa.
• Porridge made out of saamak with vegetables like lauki and paneer.

Sabudana / Sago Kheer

Ingredients

100 gms sabudaana/sago
300 gms sugar
1 litre milk
litre water

Procedure

Wash and soak sabudana for 4-5 minutes, mix sabudana in milk, add water and boil. Add sugar just before the kheer is well cooked and simmer for 5 minutes.
Phool makhana Kheer

Phool makhana Kheer

Ingredients

Phool Makhana
Milk
Sugar

Procedure

Cut and roast Phool makhana and keep aside. Boil milk on a slow flame till it thickens. Add sugar to the boiling milk, simmer for a few minutes and add the roasted phool makhana.

Sabudana / Sago Khichidi

Ingredients

arge sago seeds
Green chilies
Salt,
Mango powder
Pepper
 Lemon
Cashew nuts
Peanuts
Ghee
Potatoes
paneer

Procedure

Soak sabudana/sago in water for an hour. Chop cashew nuts and peanuts, fry them and keep aside, chop paneer & aloo, fry and keep aside.

Strain the soaked sabudana through a sieve and Remove the hard sago seeds.

Heat ghee in a kadhai and add chopped green chilies, then add the nuts, paneer, potatoes, salt, mango powder and pepper. Lemon juice can also be added-mix it with soaked sabudana.

Shivaratri arti

Jai Shiv omkara, Prabhu jai Shiv omkara

Brahma Vishnu Sadaashiv ardhangi dhara,

Om Har Har Mahadeva....

Ekanan, chaturanan, panchaanan raje,

Hansasan GarudaSan Vrishvahan saje,

Om Har Har Mahadeva....

Do bhuj, charu chaturbhui dashmukh ati sohe

Tinon rup nirakhte tribhuvan janmohe,

Om Har Har Mahadeva....

Akshyamaala banamala mundmal dhari

Chandan mrigmad sohai, bhale shubhkari,

Om Har Har Mahadeva....

Shvetambar Pitambar Bagambar ange,

Brahmadik Sankaadik Pretadik sange,

Om Har Har Mahadeva....

Kar madhye kamandalu au trishul bhari,

Sukhkari dukhahaari jagpalankari,

Om Har Har Mahadeva....

Brahma Vishnu Sadashiv janat avivekaa,

Pranavakshar men shobhit ye tinon eka,

Om Har Har Mahadeva....

Trigun svaami ki arti jo koi nar gave

Kahat Shivanand svami man vaanchhit phal pave,

Om Har Har Mahadeva.

Time of Celebration Mahashivratri

Mahashivratri or night of Lord Shiva is an auspicious day dedicated to worship of Lord Shiva. The festival is generally celebrated in the Georgian months of Feb or March. According to hindu calendar Mahashivratri falls on the night before ‘amavasya’ in the month of Phalgun in entire north India while the corresponding month in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh is Magha.

Maha Shivratri is also observed on the thirteenth day of Krishna Paksha (waning phase of the moon) in all traditional Hindu months.