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Shivaratri |
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Literally
'the great night of Shiva', celebrated on the moonless
night of the month of Phalguna, which is fourteenth day
in the dark half, this festival is specially dedicated
to Shiva, the destroyer. |
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This is an
important day for the devotees of Shiva, who stay awake
throughout the night, praying to him. In all major
centers of Shoveling worship, Shivaratri, also called
Mahashivaratri, is a grand occasion. From the very early
morning, Shiva temples are flocked by devotees, mostly
women, who come to perform the traditional Shoveling
worship and hence hope for favors from the god. All
through the day, devotees abstain from eating food and
break their fast only the next morning, after the
nightlong worship.The day is considered to be specially
auspicious for women. According to one myth, 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, Mahashivaratri is also
believed to bean 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 the ideal husband. |
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Devotees
bathe at sunrise, preferably in the Ganga, or any other
holy water source (like the Shiva Sagartank at Khajuraho).
They offer prayers to the sun, Vishnu and Shiva. This is
a purificatory rite, an important part of all Hindu
festivals. Wearing a clean piece of clothing after the
holy bath, worshippers carry pots of water to the temple
to bathe the Shoveling. The temple reverberates with the
sound of bells and shouts of Shankerji ki Jai or'Hail
Shiva'. Devotees circumambulate the linga, three or
seven times, and then pour water over it. Some also pour
milk. |
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According
to a legend in the Ramayana, once King Bhagiratha left
his kingdom to mediate for the salvation of the souls of
his an castors. He observed a penance to Brahma for a
thousand years, requesting Ganga to come down to earth
from heaven. He wanted her to wash over his ancestor's
ashes to 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 meanderingt 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 bathing the linga.
The love of water, the primary element of life, is also
remembered in this ritualistic action. |
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The linga
is bathed with milk, water and honey. It is then an
nointed with sandalwood paste. People offer wood apple
or bel leaves and fruit, milk, sandalwood and jujube
fruit or ber to the linga. Shiva is believed to be very
hot tempered, and hence things, which have a cooling
effect, are offered to him. People decorate the linga
with flowers and garlands and also offer incense sticks
and fruit. In bigger temples, there is almost a stampede
as devotees seek favors from the beloved god. Many also
employ the services of a priest to perform special
prayers. |
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According
to the Shiva Purana, the Mahashivaratri worship must
incorporate six items: the ceremonial People offer the
cooling bel leaves to the hot-blooded deity bath
representing purification of the soul; the 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 the lamp which is
conducive to the attainment of knowledge; and betel
leaves marking satisfaction with worldly pleasures.
These six items, till today, form an indispensable part
of Maha shivaratri, be it a simple ceremony at home or a
grand temple worship. By offering water, hugging the
linga, lighting the diya and incense, and ringing the
temple bells, devotees call into focus all their senses,
making them acutely aware of themselves and the universe
to which they belong. |
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Shiva
being an ascetic god, Mahashivaratri 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
Poisson merged 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 deathly
poison but held it in his throat instead of swallowing
it. Because of it, his throat turned blue, and he was
given the name Neelakantha, the blue-throated one.
Shivaratri is the celebration of this event by which
Shiva saved the world. |
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According
to another legend in the Shiva Purana, once Brahma and
Vishnu were fighting over who was the superior of the
two. Horrified at the intensity of the battle, the other
gods asked Shiva to intervene. To make them realise the
futility of their fight, Shiva assumed the form of a
huge column of fire in between Brahma and Vishnu.
Awestruck by its magnitude, they decided to find one end
each to establish 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. On his journey upwards, Brahma came
across a Ketaki flower wafting down slowly. When asked
where she had come from, the 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 a
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 from being used as an offering for
any worship, as she had testified falsely. 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 Mahashivaratri. Worshipping Shiva on this
day is believed to bestow one with happiness and
prosperity. |
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Phalguna
is a peculiar month. Immediately after Mahashivaratri ,
almost like a miracle, the 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 the 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 as king for punishment is the rule of the day,
probably originating from the mythological incident of
Shiva punishing Brahma for lying. The Vishvanatha Temple
at Kashi in Varanasi celebrates the linga (symbolic of
the pillar of light) and the manifestation of Shiva as
the light of supreme wisdom. Mahashivaratri is thus not
only a ritual but also a cosmic definition of the Hindu
universe. It dispels ignorance, emanates the light of
knowledge, makes one aware of the universe, ushers in
the spring after the cold and dry winter, and invokes
the supreme power to take cognizance of the beings who
were created by him. |
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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 deep into 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 day- break. Perched
amongst the branches, he was afraid he would doze and
fall off the tree. To stay awake, he decided to pluck a
leaf at a time from the tree and drop it, while chanting
the name of Shiva. At dawn, he realized 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 wood
apple or bel tree. This unwitting all-night worship
pleased Shiva, by whose grace the tribal was rewarded
with divine bliss. |
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This story
is recited on Mahashivaratri by devotees on fast. After
observing the all-night fast devotees eat the prasad
offered to Shiva. |
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There is
another possible reason for the origin of the all-night
worship. 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. |
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View photos of Temple, Festival, Lake,
Yagabhumi click here |
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Madai
Vadukunda Shiva Temple |
Pooramkuli |
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P.O.Payangadi, Pin 670303, Kannur Dist., Kerala St., Tel: 0091497
2874942, 2752655, E-mail: vadukunda@gmail.com |
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Madai Sree Vadukunda Shiva Temple (Locate in google map) |
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