Many temples across the country organise fairs and cultural programmes to mark the occasion.
While some perform Puja to pray for moksha or salvation, many women pray to be blessed with a good husband. On this day, to please their Lord, devotees observe the special Maha Shivratri fast and throng Shiva temples across the country to offer fruits and milk to the Shivaling, an iconic representation of Shiva. According to Shaivism, the festival marks the night when Lord Shiva performed the divine dance of creation, preservation and, destruction. Though there are several types of rituals which devotees are interested in, people can start performing puja and observing the holy festival as early as 6:49 am on March 4.įor instance, according to Puranas, Shivrati marks the night Lord Shiva saved the human kind by consuming a pot of poison during Samudra Manthan-mythical churning of the ocean. Mahashivratri 2019 will be celebrated across the country between March 4 and 5. While the festival is popularly celebrated as the wedding anniversary of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, there is much more significance to this festival. On this holy day to worship Lord Shiva, be meditative and seek his divine guidance. In Kashmir Shaivism, the festival is called Har-ratri or Herath. On this holy day, devotees worship Lord Shiva and seek his divine guidance. While Shivratri falls on the 14th day of each month of the lunar calendar, Mahashivratri is celebrated only once a year before the arrival of summer. Shivaratri is also spelled as Shivratri, Shivarathri and Sivaratri.Mahashivratri, also known as the ‘Great night of Lord Shiva,’ is a Hindu festival observed by devotees from Kashmir to Kanyakumari with much fervour. We also list Nishita time when Lord Shiva appeared on the Earth in the form of Linga and the time window to break the fast on next day. lists all four Prahar durations for staunch Shiva devotees who perform Shiva Pujan four times in the night. The whole night duration can be divided into four to get four Prahar (प्रहर) to perform Shiva Puja four times. Shivaratri puja can be performed one time or four times during the night. breaking the fast should be done within Chaturdashi Tithi. But it is believed that both Shiva Puja and Parana (पारण) i.e. According to one contradictory opinion devotees should break the fast only when Chaturdashi Tithi gets over.
Devotees should break the fast between sunrise and before the end of Chaturdashi Tithi to get maximum benefit of the Vrat. Shiva Puja should be done during night and devotees should break the fast next day after taking bath. On Shivaratri day devotees should take second bath in the evening before doing Shiva Puja or visiting temple. Hindu fasts are strict and people pledge for self-determination and seek God blessing before starting them to finish them successfully. During Sankalp devotees pledge for self-determination throughout the fasting period and seek blessing of Lord Shiva to finish the fast without any interference.
DATE FOR MAHA SHIVRATRI 2019 FULL
On Shivaratri day, after finishing morning rituals devotees should take Sankalp (संकल्प) to observe full day fast on Shivaratri and to take food next day. One day before Shivaratri Vratam, most likely on Trayodashi, devotees should eat only one time.