Siva Ratri
Mahasiva ratri festival is a Hindu festival celebrated with respect to Lord Siva. This is a special and auspicious day for the devotes or followers of Lord Siva, they celebrate it as Siva Utsav. This festival is celebrated every year of dark night in Maagha or Phalguna month on 13th or 14th day which are according to the Telugu Calendar. The Maha Siva ratri mostly comes on March month according to the English calendar. Siva ratri is also known as Padmaraja ratri. The meaning of the word ‘Siva Ratri’ is the night of Lord Siva. Worshipping Lord Siva on Maha Siva Ratri is a boon to the people. On this day Siva ratri, we do fasting and perform Jagaran (being awake whole night). Actually Siva Ratri festival is mostly famous and special for about Jagaran. But in present days, people feel that being awake whole night on Siva ratri is enough and they be awake by performing works, by playing games, but this is not a correct manner of doing jagaran and you may not get blessing from Lord Siva. The Jagaran on the Siva ratri day should be performed by chanting the name of lord Siva, by doing pooja of Lord Siva, by reading Siva purana , just being in the devotion of Siva and worshiping him with sincerity. It is said that the people who do fast and jagaran with lot of devotion and sincerity towards Siva on this day, their all desires will get fulfilled by the blessings Lord Siva and get relieved from sins and get moksha. It is believed that people who ever do Jagaran on Maha siva ratri day, they will go directly to heaven after their death.
History of Sivaratri
There are many reasons and stories behind the origin of the festival Maha Siva Ratri.
Once Devas (GOD) and Demons (Devils) had supported each other for getting amruth with help of a mountain and a snake. Then a lot of things they got and finally they received a poison pot which is very dangerous and can destroy the universe. So the poison should be drunk by either Devas or Demons, but no one are ready to have it as they feel they are very important and sacred in this universe. Then they request Lord Siva to drink the poison and protect universe from destruction. So Lord Siva drank the poison and Goddess Parvathi hold the throat of Lord Siva, so that a single drop of the poison should not spread and enter into his stomach. As stomach of the Lord Siva is believed a universe and if the poison enters his stomach then the destruction of the universe may occur. So Goddess Parvathi holds her husband Lord Siva throat for whole night, then the poison has not been swollen and it is settled in his throat itself. From then Lord Siva is known as Neela Kanta. Due to the Goddess Parvathi, staying awake for her husband’s life, the people believe that the married women should perform pooja and do jagaran on Maha siva Ratri day for their husband’s long life and the unmarried women do, for getting a husband like Lord Siva. The Demons and Devas celebrate that day by praying to Lord Siva, as they are been saved from the destruction pot poison.
In earlier, Cyclone attacks the universe and destroys it. Then the result will be a lot of crises for the people. So Goddess Parvathi prayed to her husband Lord Siva whole night without sleeping and requested him to bless people who ever pray him like her. Then she named that night as Maha Siva Ratri. Then Lord Siva told to Goddess Parvathi, that the dark night during maagha masa is his favorite day. Goddess Parvathi shared this information with her friends and relatives. They spread all over the world, therefore, people started praying Lord Siva on that night as it is Lord Siva’s favorite day.
A man used to hunt animals in a forest, so on one day as usual he went into forest for hunting animals but he did not find any animal and it become dark. He could not able to return to his home. He heard the sounds of wild animals. He got scared and he climbed on to the tree, covered himself with leaves. He was awake whole night. He was scared that if he sleeps he may fall from the tree. So to avoid sleep, he used to pluck a leaf and drop. When it becomes morning, he found that he dropped the leaves on Siva Linga, which is one of the forms of Lord Siva. When he observed the tree, he noticed that the tree is a bell tree which is a favorite of Lord Siva. As he didn’t get any animal to hunt, so he even in fasting. So without willingly he prayed Lord Siva. Therefore, Man is blessed by the Lord Siva. This kind of worship is known as unconscious worship.
According to people belief, it is said that Lord Siva came into existence in the world in Linga form at the mid night on his favorite day. This is known as Lingobhavam. So the siva linga has existed at midnight, therefore, the devotes started performing pooja’s whole night by being awake (Jagaran).
Once a thief enter Lord Siva temple for performing robbery. But unfortunately, the temple was full of devotees, more over the Maha siva ratri festival celebrations are been performed over there, by doing pooja, singing songs and bhajan. So the thief also got forced to join them as he cannot do robbery because of the devotees. Whole night he was awake with the other devotes. Therefore, he was directly entered into the heaven after his death.
Celebration of Maha Siva Ratri Festival:
The people who are going to celebrate this festival Siva Ratri by observing fast and being awake (Jagaran), they should start their preparation one day before. They should have half meal before day of Maha Siva Ratri. As we have food 3 times a day, so here half meal means having food only once in a day.
On Maha Siva Ratri we have to wake early morning, take bath and go to temple in early hours. The temples will be rushed with a lot of people on this day. Whole day they should observe their fast. But fasting means we should not do fasting without having a drop of water. This does not give any result. So we can do fasting by having milk, coffee, tea, fruit juice. Because if you suffer from hunger then you cannot concentrate yourself on Lord Siva. So you can full fill your hunger a little by having these. Then you can observe your fast and concentrate on Lord Siva also with sincere worship. At evening again we should visit temple and participate in their pooja and bhajin. The Main Maha Siva Ratri pooja starts at mid night. The pooja will be performed for every 3 hours.
The process of Maha Siva Ratri Pooja:
Actually Maha Siva Ratri is a 24 hours Jagaran and fasting. According to the Siva Purana, the puja should be performed for every 3 hours. The Festival Maha siva ratri was well described in different puranas like Siva purana, Garuda purana, agni purana, skanda purana, and padma purana.
Actually bell leaves and flowers are favorites of Lord Siva.
The Maha siva Ratri pooja will be performed at midnight. First we bath the linga with water, then with milk, curd, butter, honey and then apply vermilion paste. Then we offer flowers and bell leaves. The people who are fasting on this day, if they offer a garland at the evening then it will be better for them, they will receive blessing from Lord siva.
The people who are not able to observe fasting, they should do siva pooja which is very auspicious. Lord Siva is an Abishek lover. So on this day, the people who do abhishek on siva linga, all their desires will be fulfilled and troubles will go away. The people who are not having Siva linga at home, they can offer fresh flowers to the Lord Siva Photo. Lord siva will surely bless you. (We offer flowers to all Gods generally, because flowers are not polluted one and they are directly taken from plants). Actually among all Gods, Lord Siva is most pleased God.
The devotes who are going to perform Siva Pooja on Maha siva ratri, at home they should first take bath with warm water and apply holy ashes on the forehead. Then they perform pooja.
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