February Festivals

Shivratri

Celebrated on the new moon night in the month of Magha or Phalguna, this Hindu festival is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Observed especially by married women to ensure the long life of their husbands, it consists of a full day's fast and anointing the idol of Shiva with milk, water and honey.

This is an important day for the devotees of Shiva, who stay awake throughout the night, praying to him. Devotees flock to Shiva temples from early morning. Devotees include mostly women who come to perform the traditional Shivalinga worship. All through the day, devotees abstain from eating food and break their fast only the next morning after the night long worship.

Myth I

According to a story Parvati performed tapas and prayed and meditated on this day to ward off any evil that may befall her husband on the moonless night. Since then Mahashivratri is also believed to be an auspicious occasion for women to pray for the well being of their husbands and sons. An unmarried woman prays for a husband like Shiva who is considered to be an ideal husband.

Devotees take bath each day after which they prefer offering prayers to the sun, Vishnu and Shiva. It is a must to wear a clean piece of cloth after bath. Worshippers either carry water or milk with which they bathe the Shivalinga in the temple. The temple reverberates with the sound of bells and shouts of Shankerji ki Jai

Myth II

According to a legend in the Ramayana, King Bhagiratha left his kingdom to mediate for the salvation of the souls of his ancestors. He observed a penance to Brahma for a thousand years, requesting Ganga to come down to earth from heaven. He wanted he to wash over the ashes of her ancestors and thereby release them from a curse and allow them to go to heaven. Brahma granted his wish but told him to pray to Shiva, who alone could sustain the weight of her descent. Accordingly, Ganga descended on Shiva's head and after meandering through his thick matted locks reached the earth. According to a modified version, what reached the earth was just sprinkles from his hair. This story is believed to be re-enacted by the linga. The importance of water, the primary element of life, is also remembered in this ritualistic action.

The linga is bathed with milk, water and honey. It is then anointed with sandalwood paste. People then offer fruit, milk, sandalwood and ber to the linga. Shiva is considered t be very hot tempered and hence cool things are offered to him. People decorate linga with flowers and garlands and also offer incense sticks and fruits.

Myth III

According to Shiva Purana the Mahashivratri worship must incorporate six items. The ceremonial bath representing purification of the soul, vermilion paste applied on the linga after bathing it, representing virtue, food offering which is conducive to longevity and gratification of desires, incense, yielding wealth, the lighting of lamp which is conducive to the attainment of knowledge and betel leaves marking satisfaction with worldly pleasures. These six items till todate form an indispensable part of Mahashivratri - be it a simple ceremony at home or a grand temple worship.

Thandai, a drink made out with cannabis, almonds and milk is essentially drunk by the devout. This is so because cannabis very dear to Lord Shiva.

Myth IV

Another tale tells us that during 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. So, they ran to Shiva for help. To protect the world from its evil effect, Shiva drank the poison but held it in his throat instead of swallowing it. As a result of which his throat turned blue and he was given the name Neelkantha. Shivratri is the celebration of this event by which Shiva saved the world.

Myth V

According to another tale in Shiva Purana, once Brahma and Vishnu were fighting over who was the superior of the two. Horrified at the intensity of the battle, other Gods asked Shiva to intervene. To realise what both were doing was not correct, Shiva took the form of a huge column of fire in between Brahma and Vishnu. Awestruck by its magnitude, both decided to find the end of the column of fire to establish their supremacy over the other. Brahma assumed the form of a swan and went upwards and Vishnu as Varaha went into the earth. But light has no limit and though they searched for thousands of miles neither could find the end of the column. On his journey upwards, Brahma came across a Ketaki flower wafting down slowly. When asked where she had come from Ketaki replied that she had been placed at the top of the fiery column as an offering. Unable to find the uppermost limit, Brahma decided to end his search and take the flower as the witness.

At this, the angry Shiva revealed his true form. He punished Brahma for telling a lie and cursed him that no one would ever pray to him. The Ketaki flower too was banned as an offering during worship as she had falsely testified. Since it was on the 14th day in the dark half of the month of Phalguna that Shiva first manifested himself in the form of a linga, the day is specially auspicious and is celebrated as Mahashivratri.

After Mahashivratri, trees are full of flowers as if to announce that after winter, the fertility of the earth has been rejuvenated. And this perhaps is the reason why linga is worshipped throughout India as a symbol of fertility.

The festivities differ in various parts of India. In southern Karnataka for example children are allowed to get into all kinds of mischief and asking for punishment is the rule of the day probably originating from the mythological incident of Shiva punishing Brahma for lying

Myth VI

A legend explains the benefits of the all-night worship of Shiva. There was once a poor tribal man who was a great devotee of Shiva. One day he went to the forest to collect firewood. However, he lost his way and could not return home before nightfall. As darkness fell, he heard the growls of wild animals. Terrified, he climbed onto the nearest tree for shelter till daybreak. Perched amongst the branches, he was afraid he would doze and fall off the tree. To stay awake, he decided to pluck a leave at a time from the tree and drop it while chanting the name of Shiva. At dawn, he realised that he had dropped a thousand leaves onto a linga below which he had not seen in the dark. The tree happened to be a woodapple tree. This unwitting all-night worship pleased Shiva.

This story is recited by devotees who are on fast. After observing the fast the devotees eat the prasad offered to Shiva.

There is another reason why people worship Shiva all night long. Being a moonless night, people worshipped the God who wears the crescent moon as an adornment in his hair, Shiva. This was probably to ensure that the moon rose the next night.