Why Maha Shivratri is Celebrated? Maha Shivaratri Date 2024

India is a land of festivals. The Indian culture provides every individual an opportunity to celebrate his life. Hinduism believes life is a celebration and provides numerous festivals to make their lives truly remarkable. One such important Hindu Festival is Maha Shivratri.

Maha Shivratri is an annual festival dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is believed that Lord Shiva was married to the Goddess Parvati on this day. Hence, it is popularly known as ‘Shivratri’ or the ‘Great Night of Shiva’ and marks the convergence of Shiva with Shakti.

According to the Poornima-ant month calculation, Maha Shivaratri is celebrated on Krishna Paksha Trayodashi or Chaturdashi of the Hindu Calendar month “Phalguna,” which falls in February or March as per the Gregorian calendar. In a year, there are 12 Shivaratri; however, Maha Shivratri is the holiest.

The festival of Maha Shivratri is mainly celebrated by offering ‘Bael’ leaves to Lord Shiva. Devotees fast all day and keep an all-night vigil (Jagran) on Maha Shivratri. The chanting of the mantra “Om Namah Shivay” has a special significance on this day. Devotees chant this mantra all through the day.

Devotees also perform penances to gain boons in the practice of Yoga and meditation. On this auspicious day, the planetary positions help devotees uplift their spiritual energy more easily. Devotees benefitted by chanting the most powerful Shiva mantra, “Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra,” on the day of Maha Shivratri.

On the day of Maha Shivratri, it is said that Nishita Kala is the ideal time to perform Shiva Pooja.

According to Hindu scriptures, it is the time when Bhagwan Shiv appeared on Earth in the form of “Linga.” Therefore, in all the Shiva temples, the most sacred Lingodbhava Puja is performed on Maha Shivaratri’s day.

Devotees usually celebrate the auspicious day of Maha Shivratri by fasting and offering special prayers to Lord Shiva. They pour milk and water on the Shiva Linga and adorn it with beautiful flowers. They also take a holy dip at various pilgrim destinations.

Devotees go to the temple to offer prayers and witness the “Rudra Abhishekam” of the Almighty Lord Shiva. In addition, some of the devotees and sadhus take “Thandai,” a special drink made up of cannabis and milk.

Apart from India, Maha Shivratri is celebrated in various other parts of the world, such as Nepal, where millions of devotees attend Maha Shivratri celebrations at the famous Pashupatinath Temple. Likewise, all around the World, Hindus celebrate Maha Shivratri across the country.
They offer special “Jhalls” to Lord Shiva.

Why Maha Shivratri is Celebrated – Its Origin and History

The Puranas contain many mythological stories describing the origin of the festival of Maha Shivratri.

According to one popular belief, it is said that the formless God appeared in the form of “Lingodbhava Moorti” at midnight of Maha Shivratri. This is why Lord Shiva Devotees offer prayers to the Lord and keep vigil throughout the night of Maha Shivratri.

According to another mythological story described in Puranas, a pot of deadly poison emerged from the ocean during the Samudra Manthan. This deadly poison was capable of describing the whole world. Devas and Demons became afraid of this deadly poison and approached Lord Shankar for help.

Lord Shankar drank the deadly poison to protect the world and held it in his throat. This made his throat blue, and he was named “Neelakantha,” the blue-throated one. Thus, Maha Shivratri marked the celebration of this event when Lord Shankar saved the world from a deadly poison.

According to a legend mentioned in the Shiva Purana, once there was an intense fight between the other two triads of Hindu Gods, Brahma, and Vishnu, over who was the most superior. The intensity of the battle terrified other “Devas,” and they requested Lord Shiva to intervene. So Lord Shiva agreed to intervene in the fight between Brahma and Vishnu.

The Almighty Shiva assumed a huge column of fire between the other two triads. This awestruck Brahma and Vishnu as they decided to find one end each to establish their supremacy over the other.

Brahma took the form of a Swan and went upwards, while Vishnu took the form of Varaha and went into the earth. However, both of them failed to find the end. On his journey upwards, Brahma came across a Ketaki flower. So he decided to end his journey and take the Ketaki flower as a witness.

At this, Lord Shiva revealed his true form. He punished Brahma by cursing him so nobody would ever pray to him. This day was the 14th day in the dark half of the month of Phalguna that Shiva first manifested in Linga Form; it is especially auspicious and began to be celebrated as Maha Shivratri.

Worshipping Shiva on the day of Maha Shivaratri is said to be bestowed happiness and prosperity.

According to another legend, there is a description of the all-night worship of Lord Shiva on Shivratri. Once there was a poor tribal man who was a great devotee of Lord Shiva.

One day, it happened that he went deep into the forest and was unable to return home before nightfall. As darkness fell, he was terrified by the growls of wild animals and climbed onto the nearest tree for shelter till sunrise.

However, he was afraid that he would doze and fall off the tree. So he plucked a leaf from the tree and dropped it while chanting Lord Shiva’s mantra. At dawn, he learned that he had dropped a thousand leaves onto a Shiva Linga. The tree happened to be of Beal tree or wood apple.

This all-night worship by the tribal man pleased Lord Shiva, and He rewarded him with divine bliss. Devotees recite this story on fast on the day of Maha Shivratri.

It is believed that Maha Shivratri’s day is the union of Shiva and Shakti, the two greatest forces of the Universe. According to Puranas, Lord Shanker married Devi Parvati on the day of Maha Shivratri.

Thus, Maha Shivratri is one of the most auspicious festivals of the Hindus. Millions of devotees celebrate it across the globe. It is the day when we remember the greatest cosmic power of the Universe that is Lord Shiva. It is also the day when Lord Shiva blesses his devotees with peace and prosperity.