HAPPY MAHA SHIVRATRI 2010!

YESTERDAY PEOPLE IN INDIA PAID OBEISANCE
TO LORD SHIVA ON OCCASION OF SHIVARATRI

LUDHIANA (Times) - Yesterday, people in India were celebrating the auspicious festival “Maha Shivaratri”. The Shivratri Festival or the “The Night of Lord Shiva” is celebrated in honor of Lord Shiva, one of the deities of the Hindu Trinity. Shivaratri falls on the moonless 14th night of the new moon in the Hindu month of Phalgun, which corresponds to the month of February - March in English Calendar. Celebrating the festival of Shivaratri devotees observe day and night fast and perform ritual worship of the Shivalingam to appease Lord Shiva. Right since early morning, people started gathering in the city’s temples. Police were on high alert outside major temples to avert any mishap. In major city temples including Sangla Shivala, Durga Mata Mandir and Dandi Swami, police and traffic personnel were appointed so that traffic jams or stampedes caused by a huge number of devotees coming to the temple could be avoided. Mangalore city which has a judicious mix of Shiivas and Vaishnavas celebrate the Mahashivarathri with religious gaiety and traditional pomp. The main event happens at Kudroli Gokarnanatha Kshetra where the huge Shivalingam consecrated by the reformer saint Narayanaguru swamiji of the 20th century.

People offered fruits and milk, paid obeisance and offered prayers to the deity at the shrines. The festival is principally celebrated by offerings of Bael (Bilva) leaves to the Lord Shiva, all day fasting and an all night long vigil. According to Puranas, this is the favourite day of Lord Shiva. After creation was complete, Parvati asked Lord Shiva which rituals pleased him the most. The Lord replied that this night of the new moon, during the month of Maagha, is his most favourite day. Parvati repeated these words to her friends, from whom the word spread over all creation.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Once upon a time, the cowherd men of Vrindavan, headed by Nanda Maharaja, desired to go to Ambikavana to observe the Shivaratri ceremony ... which is especially observed by the Śaivites, or devotees of Lord Śiva. Sometimes the Vaishnavas also observe this ceremony because they accept Lord Śiva as the foremost Vaishnava. ... They very devotedly began to worship the deity of Lord Śiva and Ambikā (or Durgā) ... After reaching Ambikāvana, the cowherd men of Vrindāvana first bathed themselves in the river Sarasvatī. ... After taking a bath, they worshiped the deities and then distributed charity in the holy places.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
“Krishna Book” - Chapter 34.
“Vidyādhara Liberated and the Demon Śankhāsura Killed”