|
Marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati
Another popular belief is that Mahashivratri is actually the celebration to mark
the holy union of Lord Shiva and Parvati on this day.
Celebrations
On the day of Mahashivratri, celebrations take place in all the Shiva temples across
India. The Shivlingam is bathed with the five sacred offerings of a cow, called
the panchagavya - milk, sour milk, urine, butter and dung. Thereafter the five foods
of immortality - milk, clarified butter, curd, honey and sugar - are placed before
the Shivlingam. Dhatura and Jati, though poisonous fruits, are believed to be sacred
to Shiva and thus offered at his temple.
Devotees celebrate the day by observing a fast during the day and offer prayers
through out the night. Some people do not consume even a drop of water.
The celebration differs from place to place. For example in Kashmir, unlike other
places where Mahashivratri is only a daylong celebration, here the festival lasts
for weeks. In the Kashmiri language, the festival is also known as Herath. The festival
extends to about three weeks in Kashmiri Pandit households. Social performances
are a regular feature in this part of the country on the occasion of Mahashivratri.
During the first week they clean their homes. The second week is dedicated to the
worship of Lord Shiva. On the 13th night they worship Shiva and Parvati (also called
Shakti). After the fast and worship, prasad is taken around mid-night. The next
day is also observed as a day of worship and feast.
Some Temples
Although Mahashivratri is celebrated across the country at all Shiva temples, here
are two of the better known temples.
The Shiv Khodi temple in the state of Jammu and Kashmir houses the largest
natural Shivlingam on Earth. Pure water drips on this natural Shivling from the
ceiling, continuously. On the Mahashivratri day, milk drips onto the Shivling. This
mysterious flow of water and milk never stops and till date its origin has not been
known.
Shiv Khodi, is located in district Udhampur of Jammu and Kashmir state of India.
It is 114 km from Jammu city and 84 km from Katra, which is the base camp of Ma
(Goddess) Vaishno Devi Shrine in the state.
Thal Kedar 16 km from the eastern most hill district of Uttar Pradesh, Pithoragarh
is another place to visit. Pithoragarh is connected by air by Naini Saini airport,
which is 5 km away. The nearest railhead is Tanakpur, which is 151 km away.
<< back
- Payal Rajshekhar
Archive
|