3 interesting facts about Maha Shivratri
Maha Shivratri is a Hindu festival celebrated in honour of Lord Shiva. It is in particular, considered as the marriage day of Lord Shiva. This festival is celebrated once a year in late winter (February or March, before the arrival of summer. Maha Shivratri means the Great Night of Shiva. Here are three facts about the event:
Celebration of Maha Shivratri: The fourteenth day of every lunar month or the day before the new moon is known as Shivratri. Among all the Shivratris that occur in a calendar year, Maha Shivratri is the one that occurs in February and March and is of most spiritual significance. On this night, the northern hemisphere of the planet is positioned in such a way that there is a natural upsurge of energy in human beings. This is used to establish certain festivals that continue nightlong.
Importance of Maha Shivratri: Maha Shivratri is an annual festival dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. Unlike most Indian festivals which are celebrated during the day, Maha Shivratri is celebrated at night. Devotees of Lord Shiva stay awake throughout the night on this auspicious occasion. Some perform poojas, chant Vedic mantras, and some practice meditation. These sacred practices bestow a sense of peace and unity, within the people of the world.
Story behind Maha Shivratri: Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the auspicious festival of Lord Shiva owes its origins to several versions, one of them being a celebration of Shiva and Parvati’s marriage with each other. According to some, Maha Shivratri is celebrated as the day when Lord Shiva saved the world from a pot of poison that emerged from the ocean during Samudra Manthan. The incident is one of the best-known episodes in the Hindu philosophy which explains the origin of amrita, the nectar of immortality.
It is believed that the people who fast on this night of Maha Shivratri and offer prayers to Lord Shiva, receives good luck in their lives.
