On this day after bath a lingam is placed in the mandapam. It is then worshipped with bel leaves (Aegle marmelos maaredu). In the evening the devotees take bath & go to the Siva temple & chant Siva’s name continuously, listen to Siva’s stories & remain awake the whole night & break their fast the next day.
On the 14th night of the dark half of Magh occurs the festival of Mahashivaratri. This is an important fast for devotees of the god Shiva, who stay awake throughout the night, spending time in prayer. The name of this festival literally means 'the great night of Shiva?. Over the years man has sought to link
mythological tales to the celebration of particular days and times pertinent to each specific deity. The legend concerning this festival is memorable. It is said that a poor tribal man, who was a great devotee of Shiva, once went into the deep forest to collect firewood. As the shadows lengthened, he lost his way and could not get back home. As the mantle of darkness fell on the jungle, he could hear the growls of tigers and was extremely frightened.
In the darkness, he blindly climbed up the nearest tree - which happened to be a Bel tree - and sought safety and shelter in its branch till dawn.All night he could hear wild animals and had not the courage to leave his refuge. Perched amongst the branches, it was natural that he should doze off, fatigued by the events of the day. In order to stay awake, he plucked one sprig of leaves at a time from the tree and dropped it down, chanting the name of Shiva.
By the time the first rays of dawn lit up the horizon, he had dropped thousands of leaves on a Shiva linga which he had not noticed in the darkness. This unwitting all-night worship pleased Shiva, by whose grace the tiger went away and the tribal was rewarded with divine bliss. Ever since that day, say the Puranas, the story of the tribal is recited every year on the night of Mahashivaratri. On this particular occasion Shiva is offered special food made from the fruits of the season, root vegetables and coconuts, during ritual worship. Having observed the requirements of the all-night fast, devotees eat the prasad offered to Shiva.
Getting Ready for Shivratri Puja
To perform the worship of Lord Shiva on Shivratri, devotees wake up early and take a ritual bath, preferably in the holy waters of river Ganga. This is followed by worship to Sun God, Vishnu and Shiva in accordance with the purification rite observed on all-important Hindu festivals. Devotees then wear fresh new clothes and pay a visit to the nearest Shiva temple. As a tradition, devotees observe a fast on a Shivaratri day. Some do not consume even a drop of water.
Performing Maha Shivaratri Pooja
Following the method prescribed in Shiva Purana, priests perform ritual puja of Shiva Linga every three hours all through the day and night of Shivaratri
Festival. During this pooja, chants of Om Namah Shivaya and sounds of bells reverberate in the temple. Following the bath with milk, yoghurt, honey, ghee,
sugar and water that helps in the purification of the soul a vermilion paste is applied on the Linga as it represents virtue.
These six items form an indispensable part of Shivaratri, be it a simple ceremony at home or grand temple worship .After this, Bilwa leaves, which have to be a stalk with three leaves, is kept on top of the Shivalinga to cool the hot-tempered deity.
Ber or jujube fruit is also offered to Lord Shiva, as it is symbolic of longevity and gratification of desires. Some devotees also offer the auspicious betel leaves to Lord Shiva marking satisfaction with worldly pleasures. Garlanding of Linga with flowers and garlands is also a part of the ritual Shivaratri Puja. Devotees also burn incense sticks as is said to yield wealth. Many also light lamps to symbolize attainment of knowledge. It is said that 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.
This ritual worship of Lord Shiva continues through the day and night of Shivaratri. Devotees stay awake and spent the night in Shiva temples by chanting
‘Om Namah Shivaya’ and singing hymns and verses in praise of Lord Shankar. Devotees observing vrat on Shivaratri break it only the next morning by partaking
prasad offered to Lord Shiva.
Here are some recipes , which you can try at home
1 comment:
Thanks for sharing.Wish you all a tremendous joyful MahaShivaratri.
Regards,
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